StatWatch: U.S. Stone Imports, November 2012
U.S. granite imports increase by close to 50% from the previous year; Italy propels marble to impressive gains.
StatWatch is a snapshot of U.S. dimensional-stone imports, offering a summary and exclusive Stone Update analysis of data from the U.S. International Trade Commission. Comparisons are made mainly on an annual level to gauge market trends. Analysis is made on import figures of the latest month available.
All figures give are for November 2012 (change from November 2011 amounts in parentheses). “Worked” stone is material that’s shorn from boulders and blocks, and then cut in standard dimensional measures (such as slabs and tiles) and polished (at least once, one side). “Value” represents the declared customs value of stone.
WORKED GRANITE VALUE
Total: $91.5 million (+3.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $39.3 million (+2.4%)
Backfill: The value on imported granite slabs/tiles rises nominally, with China making the most noise ($20.8 million, up 9.1%). Of granite’s remaining Big Four, India’s $12.1 million shows a 4% decrease, while Italy raises 4% to $11.8 million. Spain continues to shine at $1.9 million, up 94% from November 2011.
WORKED GRANITE VOLUME
Total: 161,794 metric tons (+48.1%)
Sector leader: China @ 58,392 metric tons (143%)
Backfill: Brazil slips back to second for the second time in 2012, with its 48,107 metric tons showing a 13.7% decline from November ’11. India cranks it up 156.8% from the previous November with 38,890 metric tons; Italy posts its best month of 2012 with 8,157 metric tons (+18%).
WORKED MARBLE VALUE
Total: $27.1 million (+35.5%)
Sector leader: Italy @ $16.0 million (+65.2%)
Backfill: China maintains second-place with $3.3 million (+6.6%); Turkey takes third with $2.3 million (+58.2%), while Spain follows with $2.1 million (-13.4%). Greece marks its fourth month of decline in 2012 at $659,979 (-7.9%)
WORKED MARBLE VOLUME
Total: 20,552 metric tons (+23.9%)
Sector leader: Italy @ 8,469 metric tons (+58.8%)
Backfill: The big jump in shipments is mainly Italy’s business, with help from third-place Turkey (2,652 metric tons, up 53.7%). China takes second with nominal growth from November ’11 (4,590 metric tons, up 1.3%); Spain slips 13.7% to 2,135 metric tons. Greece’s 597 metric tons is a 61.8% year-to-year increase.
TRAVERTINE VALUE
Total: $20.6 million (-6.8%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ $13.6 million (-11.1%)
Backfill: Values decline for the top two U.S. suppliers; Mexico’s $3.1 million is 19% off November 2011 totals. Italy makes a 46.4% rise to $1.8 million; Peru tickles the seven-figure level at $984,065 (+16.9%). Don’t judge performance by value, however ….
TRAVERTINE VOLUME
Total: 51,977 metric tons (+15.9%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ 39,253 metric tons (+23.4%)
Backfill: The big hike from November 2011 comes partly from Turkey’s increased shipments and a massive increase (692.4%) from Italy with 5,705 metric tons. Oddly, the other countries shipping more than 1,000 metric tons slow U.S.-bound output: Mexico at 3,794 metric tons (-47.6%) and Peru at 1,887 metric tons (-34.4%).
OTHER CALCAREOUS VALUE
Total: $8.7 million (+8.9%)
Sector leader: China @ $2.0 million (+45.4%)
Backfill: China maintains the lead in import value, with a wide lead on second-place Italy ($1 million, -19%). Canada remains strong and close to the million-dollar line at $965,016 (+185.2%).
OTHER CALCAREOUS VOLUME
Total: 9,061 metric tons (+61.7%)
Sector leader: China @ 1,924 metric tons (+25.8%)
Backfill: China and Canada switch positions again, although the latter maintains a healthy share of the import pie at 1,210 metric tons (+332.1%). Spain bolsters a strong third at 718 metric tons; declining exporters include the Dominican Republic (709 metric tons, -19.2%) and Portugal (700 metric tons, -16.7%).
SLATE VALUE
Total: $4.2 million (-16.2%)
Sector leader: China @ $2.1 million (+16.6%)
Backfill: China offers one of the few bright spots here, along with Spain’s $133,616 (+44.3%). The fall-off includes Brazil ($465,583, -7.8%), Canada ($71,909, -92.4%) and the United Kingdom ($62,436, -61%)
OTHER STONE VALUE
Total: $20.6 million (+40.7%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $7.2 million (+115.3%)
Backfill: Stone’s roundup category continues to offer the strongest recovery in 2012. Other big November gainers include India ($5 million, +17.5%), China ($2.6 million, +37.6%) and Canada ($1.8 million, +8%).
OTHER STONE VOLUME
Total: 22,010 metric tons (+40.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ 7,565 metric tons (+86.6%)
Backfill: Even with August remaining the high-water mark for shipments this year, all major countries show strong gains on 2011 levels. India’s 6,074 metric tons (+25.6%) captures a strong second, with other fine efforts from China (3,109 metric tons, +23.2%) and Canada (1,544 metric tons, +22.6%).
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