Cement wars

摘要

One thing is certain: There is a cement shortage in the United States. The Associated General Contractors (AGC) and the Portland Cement Association (PCA) have received reports from 28 states and the District of Columbia, documenting shortages, allocations and delivery delays, up from 23 states at the end of May. As this year's construction season progresses, AGC fears that shortages are likely to be even more widespread than in the 35 states where PCA noted shortages or "tight" supplies as of November 2004. To contend with the shortage, AGC and PCA have asked the Southern Tier Cement Committee (STCC) to withdraw its complaint that triggered the current anti-dumping duty on Mexican cement and allow cement supplies to arrive from Mexico free of prohibitively high duties.