StatWatch: U.S. Stone Imports, September 2013
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 September 2013 (change from September 2012 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: $108,037,976 (+20.9%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $50,822,002 (+23.9%)
VOLUME
Total: 121,894 metric tons (+18.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ 60,363 metric tons (+20.9%)
Backfill: Imports keep a good up-tempo as the summer wanes, with all of the Big Four scoring double-digit volume gains from September 2012. Even Italy pumps up tonnage from last year to 6,154 metric tons (26.0%) – and Canada makes a move to make it the Big Five with 4,724 metric tons (+67.2%).
WORKED MARBLE
VALUE
Total: $28,000,410 (+34.1%)
Sector leader: Italy @ $13,606,991 (+37.9%)
VOLUME
Total: 22,777 metric tons (+34.2%)
Sector leader: Italy @ 6,489 metric tons (+34.2%)
Backfill: Another exemplary month, with major gains by China (5,948 metric tons, +29.4%), Turkey (4,959 metric tons, +67.1%) and Spain (1,579 metric tons, 21.6%). Brazil’s 524 metric tons is a small part of the total, but it also shows a 93.4% gain from September 2012.
TRAVERTINE
VALUE
Total: $22,818,182 (+0.3%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ $16,454,084 (-0.2%)
VOLUME
Total: 37,398 metric tons (-43.7%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ 27,596 metric tons (-53.6%)
Backfill: Turkey posts its second-worst month of the year in shipments, while other major exporters to the United States show big gains. Mexico’s 5,587 metric tons (+38.4%) and China’s 1,966 metric tons (+38.4%) look good, but the big gainer is Peru with 1,139 metric tons (+70.5%)
OTHER CALCAREOUS
VALUE
Total: $9,467,480 metric tons (+2.9%)
Sector leader: China @ $2,132,843 (+37.5%)
VOLUME
Total: 13,360 metric tons (+34.0%)
Sector leader: China @ 4,778 metric tons (+227.1%)
Backfill: The sector swings back to the positive in September, despite the declines of second-place Canada (1,618 metric tons, -15.7%) and fourth place Italy (935 metric tons, -19.3%). Sandwiched between is Spain, with its 1,331 metric tons showing a 185.6% gain from September 2012.
OTHER STONE
VALUE
Total: $26,169,660 (+37.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $11,853,518 (+35.7%)
VOLUME
Total: 28,575 metric tons (+25.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ 11,408 metric tons (+57.4%)
Backfill: Gains and losses form a patchwork in September. While China improves by better than half (4,318 metric tons, +57.8%) and Italy boomsby 81.4% with its 909 metric tons, Canada drops by 4.3% (1,530 metric tons) and Turkey slows by 21.4% (685 metric tons). Second place India stays static at 8,080 metric tons (-0.1%).
SLATE
VALUE
Total: $6,924,062 (+48.8%)
Sector leader: China @ $4,522,670 (+84.4%)
Backfill: The pickup continues for this once-moribund sector, with second place India sending $1.5 million (+21.5%) and Brazil shipping $534,774 (+10.3%). Canada makes a major step up with $111,104 (+185.1%), marking its highest monthly total in several years.
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