The cement shortage and its impact on U.S. construction

Concrete Shortage

Wood, Daniel B. "Cement Shortage Hits U.S. Housing Boom." Christian Science Monitor. Aug 17, 2004. http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0817/p03s02-usec.html concrete shortage has been looming in the United States for years, peaking during the housing boom a few years ago but still affecting construction projects. One of the causes for the shortage is the Beijing Olympics. As Wood points out, China supplies about 25% of America's cement. Large-scale projects being undertaken in China are cutting into that supply. China has been exporting less and less cement, causing a spike in the price of cement in the United States. Construction companies are losing money and the shortage has affected the timing of many domestic projects, especially in some regions of the country like the South.

Moreover, the cement shortage is worldwide. Building projects all over the globe have been stymied by the dwindling Chinese supply. To remedy the problem, an American company has built a new cement production plant in Nevada scheduled to be online by 2008. The new plant will help fill some of the gaps in production but more supply will still be needed to avoid major profit losses. The federal government is also considering lifting the ban on Mexican cement imports, which were squelched due to unfair competition with American businesses.