StatWatch: Quartz Up, But Not By Half

 

So growth isn’t quite 50% in April – 48% is more than healthy. The Top Two, however, becomes the Top Three as China goes past Israel in chasing Spain.

Spain remains a solid first in customs valuation for April 2013, but the 71% year-to-year increase is due mainly to a less-than-average month in April 2012. Israel, meanwhile, drops to $3 million, its lowest monthly values total in more than a year. China pushes past last year’s pace by 158.7% to finish at $2.6 million, while Canada rounds out the million-dollar shippers this April at $1.7 million (+12.8%). Vietnam makes some serious gains at $438,443 (+170.8%).

U.S. Quartz Slab Imports – Value
(U.S. dollars)
Apr-13 Apr-12 Change
Spain $7,644,143 $4,467,876 71.1%
Israel $3,036,057 $4,136,990 -26.6%
China $2,687,176 $1,038,584 158.7%
Canada $1,730,497 $1,534,766 12.8%
Italy $592,494 $891,341 -33.5%
Vietnam $438,443 $161,926 170.8%
India $354,544 $441,985 -19.8%
Korea $164,212 $61,316 167.8%
Portugal $162,156 $132,157 22.7%
Belgium $108,710 $97,634 11.3%
Brazil $107,346 $17,702 506.4%
Czech Republic $70,629 $30,267 133.4%
Germany $32,024 $0 N/A
Kenya $29,821 $0 N/A
Philippines $15,200 $0 N/A
Total $17,173,452 $13,012,544 32.0%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

Spain again tops the quartz-slab volume chart, although a weaker April 2012 performance is the main reason for the 79% growth in April 2013. The serious muscle comes with China, as it shoulders into second in April with 145.5% growth from 2012. Israel takes a 28.6% tumble from April 2012, although the difference with China’s total this April is less than 26,000 ft². India does a reverse of its 19.8% drop in import values in April 2013 to a 194.7% boom in volume; some of this may be attributable to a large private order for an unmentionable(s) client.

U.S. Quartz Slab Imports – Volume
(square feet)
  Apr-13 Apr-12 Change
Spain 881,951 492,664 79.0%
China 366,511 149,371 145.4%
Israel 340,710 477,304 -28.6%
India 164,106 55,692 194.7%
Canada 141,847 128,230 10.6%
Italy 69,007 51,882 33.0%
Vietnam 46,597 18,083 157.7%
Korea 25,058 7,718 224.7%
Portugal 22,292 15,048 48.1%
Belgium 12,228 9,957 22.8%
Czech Republic 8,041 4,176 92.5%
Kenya 5,145 0 N/A
Brazil 5,102 775 558.3%
Germany 4,445 0 N/A
Philippines 344 0 N//A
Total 2,093,385 1,410,900 48.4%
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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