Shipments of finished portland cement to Hawai'i fell 4.8 percent in April compared to a year earlier, indicating a slowing of the state's construction industry.

The decline compared with the average 6.3 percent drop for the nation as a whole, according to U.S. Geological Survey data cited by Bloomberg News.

Shipments to Hawai'i totaled 38,405 metric tons in April, or 0.4 percent of the nation's total.

Cement is the basic ingredient in concrete, mortar and stucco, and shipments are an indicator of construction activity.