StatWatch August 2019: Bit of a Lull?

By Emerson Schwartzkopf

Quartz slabs remained strong in July’s U.S. hard-surface import data, despite China all-but-dropping-out of the market.

Granite, meanwhile, remained strong, as Brazil moves far ahead of 2018’s pace in sending slabs to the United States.

More than 6.5 million ft² of quartz slabs from China rushed through U.S. ports-of-entry in May and June to sail through a regulatory loophole for implementing 300%-plus unfair-trade tariffs. July’s shipments from the country, meanwhile, might be enough to cover a couple of decent subdivisions in Phoenix.

Others continue to step in to fill the loss of Chinese quartz, including a big recovery in shipments from Vietnam and Italy.

All data is from the U.S. International Trade Commission, along with Stone Update analysis.(Comparisions with July 2018 data is shown in parentheses.)

QUARTZ SURFACES

Total: 13,553,903 ft² (-26.0%)

Sector Leader: India, 4,679,024 ft² (+330.7%)

Backfill: It’s hard to compare total shipments with August 2018, when pre-tariff shipments from China peaked at 12.9 million ft². Non-Chinese imports, however, grew from slightly more than 5.3 million ft² last year to 13.4 million ft² this August, spearheaded mainly by India, Turkey and a resurgent Vietnam.

As far as roving factories and container-swapping transshipping of Chinese quartz, it’s truly nothing if not low key. Pacific Rim neighbors Taiwan and Malaysia make up less than 5% of the previous flow from China, and two other likely locations — Singapore and the Philippines — show no U.S. shipments in August.

(square feet)         19-Aug 18-Aug Change TOTAL 13,553,903 18,316,886 -26.0%         India 4,679,024 1,086,400 330.7% Spain 2,636,768 1,722,461 53.1% Vietnam 1,307,093 181,953 618.4% Turkey 1,169,487 239,109 389.1% Canada 702,872 503,955 39.5% Italy 640,291 191,630 234.1% Israel 568,431 975,306 -41.7% South Korea 323,789 74,077 337.1% Brazil 302,444 84,109 259.6% Taiwan 243,404 4,176 5728.1% Malaysia 233,081 0 N/A Czech Republic 199,681 14,768 1252.1% Germany 170,500 77,209 120.8% Portugal 104,044 139,694 -25.5% Belgium 87,564 18,751 367.0% China 65,262 12,965,623 -99.5% Thailand 39,213 0 N/A Hong Kong 32,259 37,641 -14.3% Oman 21,022 0 N/A Poland 11,194 0 N/A Estonia 7,621 0 N/A Mexico 4,575 0 N/A Indonesia 3,993 0 N/A Guatemala 237 0 N/A Romania 54 0 N/A Hungary 0 22 -100.0% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

WORKED GRANITE

Total: 121,562 metric tons (-11.3%)

Sector Leader: Brazil, 57,295 metric tons (+27.0%)

Backfill: Worked (sawn, one-side polished) granite falls behind 2018’s pace in August, although it’s through no fault of sector leader Brazil. For the second month in a row, the other members of granite’s Big Three — India and China — post double-digit declines from August 2018, along with every other company shipping more than 1,000 metric tons to the United States.

(metric tons)         19-Aug 18-Aug Change TOTAL 121,562 137,107 -11.3%         Top Countries       Brazil 57,295 45,116 27.0% India 24,599 28,011 -12.2% China 24,144 29,882 -19.2% Spain 7,317 8,860 -17.4% Canada 4,667 6,363 -26.7% Italy 1,864 3,586 -48.0% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

WORKED MARBLE

Total: 47,440 metric tons (+2.8%)

Sector Leader: Turkey, 21,037 metric tons (+27.8%)

Backfill: Turkey is up, but most major exporters to the United States (save Brazil) are down. China takes a 30%-plus drop from the previous August … but it did the same thing, by the same margin, from August 2017-August 2018.

(metric tons)         19-Aug 18-Aug Change TOTAL 47,440 46,169 2.8%         Top Countries       Turkey 21,037 16,455 27.8% India 7,891 8,238 -4.2% Italy 6,400 7,807 -18.0% Brazil 4,463 3,801 17.4% China 4,178 6,740 -38.0% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

TRAVERTINE

Total: 27.992 metric tons (+17.9%)

Sector Leader: Turkey, 13,713 metric tons (-21.3%)

Backfill: No mirage: Travertine imports went up from the previous year, which hasn’t happened in a long time. It looks like someone really wanted a huge amount of Chinese travertine..

(metric tons)         19-Aug 18-Aug Change TOTAL 27,992 23,736 17.9%         Top Countries       Turkey 13,713 17,434 -21.3% China 9,585 613 1463.6% Mexico 3,597 3,729 -3.5% Italy 647 987 -34.4% Peru 237 403 -41.2% Spain 150 271 -44.6% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

OTHER CALCAREOUS

Total: 11,303 metric tons (-12.8%)

Sector Leader: Canada, 2,158 metric tons (-11.6%)

(metric tons)         19-Aug 18-Aug Change TOTAL 11,303 12,963 -12.8%         Top Countries       Canada 2,158 2,442 -11.6% Turkey 1,681 1,720 -2.3% China 1,281 2,478 -48.3% Portugal 1,155 1,530 -24.5% Italy 797 794 0.4% Spain 643 451 42.6% India 572 400 43.0% France 444 474 -6.3% Mexico 396 524 -24.4% Dominican Rep 297 365 -18.6% Israel 259 378 -31.5% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

OTHER STONE

Total: 35,414 metric tons (-27.9%)

Sector Leader: India, 14,100 metric tons (-1.0%)

(metric tons)
	19-Aug	18-Aug	Change
TOTAL	35,414	49,101	-27.9%
Top Countries
India	14,100	14,242	-1.0%
Brazil	11,326	22,865	-50.5%
China	5,339	4,886	9.3%
Italy	1,368	2,346	-41.7%
Canada	1,093	1,841	-40.6%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

 

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