The Portland Cement Association (PCA) urged Congress to reject the so-called “Timber Innovation Act” introduced this week in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, noting it unfairly puts the federal government in the business of promoting wood-related building materials over others.
Among its provisions, the bill promotes the wood materials sector by incentivizing state and local governments, universities and private companies with federal funds to conduct research and development, outreach and education to advance the use of mass timber products in construction.
According to PCA, the U.S. cement industry is currently operating at roughly 79 percent of capacity, estimated at 108 million metric tons per year. Activities related to cement and concrete production in the U.S. employ nearly 535,000 workers, with a total annual payroll of approximately $25 billion. Of this, cement manufacturing represents over 14,300 workers with an annual payroll of about $1 billion.
The U.S. cement industry has facilities in every state in the continental U.S., including over 90 manufacturing plants with annual shipments valued at approximately $9 billion. PCA members account for 92 percent of all U.S. cement production capacity.
