The High Cost of ‘Cheap’ Material

The United States is in its biggest infrastructure moment since the Interstate Highway System. This construction spree will be a boon to American workers if we ensure that we’re building with domestic products. However, we are increasingly reliant on imports for the most fundamental building material—cement. That reliance threatens to undercut the building boom and weaken the foundation of American economic growth and job creation. 

Too much of the cement under our roads and bridges comes from abroad -- often from overseas plants that are leakier, dirtier, and less safe than those here at home. While imports are attractive because they appear cheaper in the short term, that “cheap” price hides the true costs: higher global emissions, less accountability, and lost opportunities for American workers.  

At a time when both parties champion reshoring manufacturing and rebuilding the middle class, it makes little sense to outsource the production of the material that literally supports our factories, warehouses, and logistics hubs. Cement is the backbone of construction, which is one of the most reliable engines of broad‑based job creation, yet U.S. cement production capacity is under significant pressure.  

Plants have closed or delayed upgrades; and communities that once depended on these facilities for jobs now watch ships laden with foreign product enter our ports instead of railcars leaving, loaded with local clinker and cement. The ripple effects are felt throughout the supply chain: fewer orders for domestic limestone and aggregates; less work for American truckers and rail operators; and shrinking tax bases for the counties and school districts that rely on industrial property and payrolls. If we allow domestic cement production to wither while our infrastructure ambitions soar, we will find ourselves dangerously dependent on foreign suppliers for the materials necessary to keep our roads drivable and our economy humming. 

Looking beyond the basics, cement‑intensive projects like high‑tech manufacturing campuses, advanced logistics centers, semiconductor fabs, energy infrastructure, and affordable housing are the foundation of long‑term productivity growth. When those projects rely on an unstable mix of imports, we introduce uncertainty into costs and timelines that can ultimately deter investment. Conversely, a strong, modern domestic cement industry gives businesses the confidence that the materials they need will be available, predictable in price, and produced to consistent standards. That stability is one of America’s quiet advantages.  We should be reinforcing it, not eroding it. 

We cannot meet this moment with an unreliable supply of cement or with a permitting system stuck in the past. We must embrace permitting reform that preserves our air and water protections, while setting clear timelines, coordinating federal and state agencies, and focusing on tangible results: safer communities, lower risks, and resilient infrastructure.  

Moreover, we must include cement in Build America, Buy America preferences and implement them in a way that rewards cleaner, safer domestic production. When federal dollars fund a bridge replacement in the Midwest, a port upgrade on the East Coast, or a new transit line in the South, American cement should be the default choice wherever it is reasonably available. That is how we align our infrastructure agenda with our goals for manufacturing, climate, and worker prosperity -- instead of pitting them against one another. 

Together, these approaches will give American producers—who uphold higher environmental and worker safety standards—a fair chance to supply the cement that federal, state, and local projects require. American products are monitored and accountable.  Our rules may be tougher, but they also mean our neighbors share in the benefits, not just the burdens, of industrial growth. 

 From farm‑to‑market roads in the Midwest to coastal flood defenses along the Gulf Coast to transit expansions in booming Western cities, America’s economic future will be poured in concrete. If we want strong, sustainable communities and a competitive national economy, we cannot build them on imported foundations. By reforming permitting and establishing purchasing preferences, our leaders can ensure that when we rebuild this country, we do so with the proven strength of American workers and an American-made supply chain. 

Mary Landrieu represented Louisiana in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2015.