StatWatch: Quartz Slab Imports Boom in May

August 3, 2012

At $18.3 million in value and more than 2 million square feet, the May 2012 totals for quartz-slab import values set new monthly records.

In value, Spain far outpaces all other countries; its $9.4 million shows a 328% increase from the previous year, and accounts for more than half of all quartz-slab imports this May. Israel keeps pace with its current export rate at $4.3 million, a 10.8% gain from last may. China continues to build strength, coming only a few dollars short of $1.6 million and besting last May by 235.9%.

U.S. Quartz Slab Imports – Value
(U.S. dollars)

	May-12	May-11	Change
Spain	$9,441,633	$2,203,136	328.6%
Israel	$4,349,151	$3,925,204	10.8%
China	$1,599,923	$476,287	235.9%
Canada	$957,818	$2,730,742	-64.9%
Belgium	$809,158	$275,154	194.1%
Italy	$459,045	$1,609,995	-71.5%
Vietnam	$235,041	$26,407	790.1%
India	$203,212	$383,503	-47.0%
Portugal	$131,320	$65,001	102.0%
Korea	$105,228	$45,794	129.8%
Sweden	$31,297	$0	N/A
Czech Republic	$30,642	$0	N/A
Brazil	$10,232	$12,155	-15.8%
Turkey	$2,596	$3,000	-13.5%
All Others	$0	$79,776	N/A

Total	$18,366,296	$11,836,154	55.2%

Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update* analysis*

Spain dominates volume as well, becoming the first country to top the million-square-feet mark for one month with 1.04 million ft² in May – a stunning 453.8% increase from the previous year. Israel’s 502,147 ft² gives it a 79% boost from last May, and China moves 209,498 ft² into the United States for an annual gain of 259.4%.

U.S. Quartz Slab Imports – Volume
(square feet)

	May-12	May-11	Change
Spain	1,042,441	188,218	453.8%
Israel	502,147	280,453	79.0%
China	209,498	58,287	259.4%
Canada	82,990	190,112	-56.3%
Belgium	80,869	20,634	291.9%
Vietnam	29,891	5,888	407.7%
India	25,478	36,414	-30.0%
Italy	24,520	116,627	-79.0%
Portugal	14,617	5,651	158.7%
Korea	14,230	5,371	164.9%
Czech Republic	4,273	0	N/A
Sweden	2,799	0	N/A
Brazil	538	732	-26.4%
Turkey	366	280	30.8%
All Others	0	8966	N/A

Total	2,034,657	917,633	121.7%

Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update* analysis*

StatWatch is a snapshot of U.S. dimensional-stone and hard-surfaces imports, offering a summary and exclusive Stone Update analysis of data from the U.S. International Trade Commission. Comparisons are made mainly to gauge market trends. Analysis is made on import figures of the latest month available.

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