StatWatch June 2019: One More Time

By Emerson Schwartzkopf

China had one more try for the U.S. quartz-surfaces market in June, and it didn’t falter.

An unusual gap in enforcement of massive unfair-trade tariffs on the material gave Chinese manufacturers and exporters the chance to push quartz surfaces through U.S. ports. While India remained the new leader among suppliers, China came within 400 slabs or so from taking the top spot once again.

With other hard surfaces, granite continued its monthly comeback, fueled mainly by Brazil and China; marble also scored a 20% growth from last year. Travertine bills-of-lading, meanwhle, kept getting smaller.

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

QUARTZ SURFACES

Total: 15,406,747 ft² (+2.7%)

Sector Leader: India, 3,589,987 ft² (+596.8%)

Backfill: Given the 300%-plus tariffs in effect on Chinese quartz surfaces, it’s stunning the sector showed any growth in June. The catch is that market players took advantage of a loophole that allowed a waiver of the new tariffs for most of May and all of June. That waiver window closed on July 5, so expect China’s shipments to drop significantly in coming months.

Jun-19 Jun-18 Change TOTAL 15,406,747 15,007,320 2.7%         India 3,589,987 515,203 596.8% China 3,565,079 9,960,709 -64.2% Spain 3,118,237 1,962,141 58.9% Turkey 1,179,024 283,607 315.7% Israel 911,993 606,417 50.4% Vietnam 676,640 580,346 16.6% Canada 602,725 445,184 35.4% Italy 442,515 161,200 174.5% South Korea 295,523 60,579 387.8% Taiwan 222,856 614 36222.8% Brazil 171,092 47,393 261.0% Germany 165,710 14,004 1083.3% Czech Republic 144,495 38,890 271.5% Portugal 123,333 248,937 -50.5% Malaysia 82,753 0 N/A Belgium 38,513 17,868 115.5% Thailand 28,223 0 N/A Mexico 16,566 4,306 284.8% Hong Kong 15,188 57,695 -73.7% Estonia 11,334 0 N/A Algeria 3,186 0 N/A Indonesia 1,184 0 N/A Japan 291 0 N/A Poland 258 0 N/A Norway 43 0 N/A Romania 0 1,485 -100.0% France 0 743 -100.0% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

WORKED GRANITE

Total: 137,399 metric tons (+27.5%)

Sector Leader: Brazil, 68,386 metric tons (+56.2%)

Backfill: Worked (sawn, one-side polished) granite ends the first half of 2019 with an amazing turnaround in tonnage. Gains in the 50% range from last year with Brazil and China more than offset a small dip in shipments from India.

Jun-19 Jun-18 Change TOTAL 137,399 107,799 27.5%         Top Countries       Brazil 68,386 43,783 56.2% China 35,467 23,763 49.3% India 18,574 18,939 -1.9% Spain 8,056 7,143 12.8% Italy 2,469 2,946 -16.2% Canada 2,406 7,886 -69.5% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

WORKED MARBLE

Total: 55,223 metric tons (+21.6%)

Sector Leader: Turkey, 21,184 metric tons (+21.0%)

Backfill: Four of the top-five shippers show healthy gains from June 2018. Italy declines by 13% for the second month in a row.

Jun-19 Jun-18 Change TOTAL 55,223 45,420 21.6%         Top Countries       Turkey 21,184 17,510 21.0% China 14,514 7,899 83.7% India 7,945 7,242 9.7% Italy 5,734 6,636 -13.6% Brazil 3,416 2,925 16.8% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

TRAVERTINE

Total: 17,756 metric tons (-36.2%)

Sector Leader: Turkey, 11,773 metric tons (-43.8%)

Backfill: The freefall continues as Turkey continues to ship less and less material.

Jun-19 Jun-18 Change TOTAL 17,756 27,821 -36.2%         Top Countries       Turkey 11,773 20,934 -43.8% Mexico 3,814 4,246 -10.2% Italy 1,009 1,001 0.8% China 434 524 -17.2% Peru 290 555 -47.7% Romania 147 163 -9.8% Spain 130 246 -47.2% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

OTHER CALCAREOUS

Total: 9,777 metric tons (-39.7%)

Sector Leader: China, 2,373 metric tons (-44.7%)

	Jun-19	Jun-18	Change
TOTAL	9,777	16,212	-39.7%
Top Countries
China	2,373	4,291	-44.7%
Canada	1,811	2,104	-13.9%
Turkey	1,066	2,758	-61.3%
Portugal	1,028	1,698	-39.5%
Italy	515	1,017	-49.4%
Spain	507	603	-15.9%
India	476	500	-4.8%
Mexico	337	1,009	-66.6%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

OTHER STONE

Total: 35,646 metric tons (-10.3%)

Sector Leader: India, 11,632 metric tons (-14.3%)

Jun-19 Jun-18 Change TOTAL 35,646 39,721 -10.3%         Top Countries       India 11,632 13,569 -14.3% Brazil 10,745 13,656 -21.3% China 7,929 5,861 35.3% Canada 1,722 1,525 12.9% Italy 1,338 2,324 -42.4% Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

 

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