US: The Portland Cement Association’s (PCA) Chief Economist Ed Sullivan has said that he expects US cement consumption to grow by 3.5% in the remainder if 2017 and 2018, based on analysis of data and policies likely to impact the industry in the coming years. Speaking before the IEEE-IAS/PCA Cement Conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Sullivan said that, while details on specific federal US policies are not yet fully available, the association is forecasting growth in the years ahead using conservative baseline estimates for factors such as infrastructure spending and tax reform.

“While fiscal stimulus will boost cement consumption, there are other economic indicators that will temper growth,” said Sullivan. “Infrastructure policies also take time to implement, so you could be looking at 11 - 22 months before new projects truly get underway.”

“Tax reform will also influence cement consumption because it drives consumer spending and confidence that play heavily with the housing sector,” noted Sullivan. “When you hire a worker, you hire a taxpayer,” Sullivan said, adding that additional funds generated from consumer taxes and spending will help drive moderate growth in public construction and housing markets. “The underlying fundamentals supporting economic growth are positive, though we’ll maintain a watch on how the US Government addresses possible inflation and immigration,” Sullivan said. “This confidence in stable, sustained growth in cement consumption is likely to be unchallenged through 2018.”