StatWatch August 2018: Quartz Apex in August?

By Emerson Schwartzkopf

In an exporting splurge unlikely to be matched for a long time, China’s quartz-slab flow to the United States nearly hit 13 million ft² this August.

275 containersThe 12.96 million ft² received in U.S. ports-of-entry set yet another record for one country shipping the material, as well as helping to set a new overall import mark. August will likely be the last big month, as a series of tariffs begin to hit Chinese quartz surfaces in September.

Good news managed to spread across most U.S. natural-stone imports in August, including a gain in the beleaguered granite sector, according to a Stone Update analysis of data from the U.S. International Trade Commission. It’s not certain if the cheer will continue into the fall.

 

QUARTZ SLABS

China’s shipments this August easily beat the tariff deadlines of mid-September, when the first of the port taxes take effect from the Cambria Company LLC unfair-trade case as well as general Trump administration actions on Chinese goods.

While 12.96 million ft² is impressive, it’s only 7% more than the country’s July shipments. There’s a limit somewhere between China’s production capacity or the berth space available for U.S.-bound containers.

With all the tariff fireworks to come, don’t ignore other major U.S. supplier of quartz slabs. India nearly doubled its shipments this August from a year ago, and Israel went up a hefty 30.3%.

Vietnam, meanwhile, continues an erratic path; from 600K ft² in July 2017, it’s fluctuated wildly, going as low as 93K ft² last October to 580K ft² in June to August’s 181.9 ft².

 

U.S. Imports: Quartz Slabs
(square feet)
 Aug-18
  Aug-17
  Change
TOTAL 18,317,811 10,889,343 68.2%
China 12,962,061 5,948,648 117.9%
Spain 1,722,461 1,687,833 2.1%
India 1,086,400 546,010 99.0%
Israel 975,306 748,274 30.3%
Canada 503,955 512,093 -1.6%
Turkey 239,109 213,437 12.0%
Italy 191,630 146,045 31.2%
Vietnam 181,953 546,096 -66.7%
Portugal 139,694 154,451 -9.6%
Brazil 83,808 29,579 183.3%
Germany 77,209 139,586 -44.7%
Korea 74,077 72,936 1.6%
Hong Kong 42,431 44,692 -5.1%
Belgium 18,751 24,090 -22.2%
Czech Republic 14,768 53,959 -72.6%
Taiwan 4,176 0 N/A
Hungary 22 0 N/A
Switzerland 0 10,710 N/A
Mexico 0 6,641 N/A
Australia 0 3,886 N/A
France 0 248 N/A
Uruguay 0 129 N/A
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis   

 

WORKED GRANITE

Far less spectacular – but of equal importance – is worked (sawn, one-side-polished) granite’s recovery in August, with 6.2% growth in U.S. imports from the same time last year.

The top two of granite’s Big Three didn’t help much, as sector leader Brazil eked out a nominal 0.9% increase from 2017, and China declined by 7.9%. India, however, strengthened its shipments, and Canada managed an astounding 5,000 metric-ton gain from August 2017.

Is that Canadian year-to-year surge for real? The country’s 2018 track record offers a resounding yes, as shipments zoomed past a sputtering January of 907 metric tons to an average of more than 7,000 metric tons from June through August.

China’s year-to-year decline in shipping granite isn’t a one-off in natural stone. The country shipped less to the United States in August in all quarried-stone sectors, in contrast to the booming trade in quartz surfaces.

 

U.S. Imports: Worked Granite
(metric tons)
Aug-18 Aug-17 Change
Total 137,069 129,031 6.2%
Top 10
Brazil 62,390 61,819 0.9%
China 29,606 32,144 -7.9%
India 25,243 19,756 27.8%
Spain 8,258 8,423 -2.0%
Canada 6,834 1,840 271.4%
Italy 3,219 3,615 -11.0%
South Africa 424 346 22.5%
Portugal 304 149 104.0%
Hong Kong 158 105 50.5%
Saudi Arabia 94 245 -61.6%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis   

 

WORKED MARBLE

The big player in worked-marble imports – at least in volume – remains Turkey, with its 65.2% growth from August 2017 providing the difference (and then some) in overall shipment increases.

India also offered strong numbers in U.S.-bound marble. Brazil also continues a steady increase in its flow of marble to the United States.

Italy recorded a 27.4% decline in tonnage of marble sent to U.S. customers. However, it continues its dominance in value, with its $22.1 million in August towering over Turkey ($7.1 million), China ($6.8 million), India ($4 million) and Brazil ($3.5 million).

 

U.S. Imports: Worked Marble
(metric tons)
Aug-18 Aug-17 Change
TOTAL 46,241 41,861 10.5%
Top 10
Turkey 16,479 9,973 65.2%
India 8,288 6,581 25.9%
Italy 7,789 10,729 -27.4%
China 6,752 7,840 -13.9%
Brazil 3,801 3,219 18.1%
Spain 1,132 1,043 8.5%
Greece 673 776 -13.3%
Mexico 222 162 37.0%
Egypt 219 477 -54.1%
Portugal 219 271 -19.2%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis   

 

TRAVERTINE

 

U.S. Imports: Travertine     
(metric tons)      
  Aug-18 Aug-17 Change
TOTAL 23,863 26,193 -8.9%
Top 10
Turkey 17,548 19,625 -10.6%
Mexico 3,741 4,022 -7.0%
Italy 987 1,287 -23.3%
China 613 633 -3.2%
Peru 403 305 32.1%
Spain 271 214 26.6%
Romania 151 0 N/A
Egypt 61 0 N/A
Vietnam 41 40 2.5%
Portugal 33 2 1550.0%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis   

 

OTHER CALCAREOUS

 

U.S. Imports: Other Calcareous
(metric tons)
Aug-18 Aug-17 Change
TOTAL 12,903 16,366 -21.2%
Top 10
Canada 2,442 3,773 -35.3%
China 2,414 3,951 -38.9%
Turkey 1,720 1,831 -6.1%
Portugal 1,530 1,405 8.9%
Italy 794 811 -2.1%
Dominican Rep 615 426 44.4%
Mexico 524 382 37.2%
Morocco 487 97 402.1%
France 474 802 -40.9%
Spain 451 626 -28.0%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis   

 

OTHER STONE

 

U.S. Imports: Other Stone    
(metric tons)
Aug-18 Aug-17 Change
TOTAL 49,250 44,745 10.1%
Top 10
Brazil 22,781 20,457 11.4%
India 14,212 11,348 25.2%
China 5,136 5,403 -4.9%
Italy 2,346 2,250 4.3%
Canada 1,841 1,592 15.6%
South Africa 898 1,273 -29.5%
Mexico 567 784 -27.7%
Bulgaria 232 186 24.7%
Indonesia 227 199 14.1%
Spain 203 250 -18.8%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis