StatWatch: U.S. Stone Imports, September 2012

Granite takes a big hit; other stones continue to outperform 2011 levels.

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

All figures give are for September 2012 (change from September 2011 amounts in parentheses). “Worked” stone is material that’s shorn from boulders and blocks, and then cut in standard dimensional measures (such as slabs and tiles) and polished (at least once, one side). “Value” represents the declared customs value of stone.
 
WORKED GRANITE VALUE
Total: $89.3 million (+11.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $41.0 million (-20.2%)

Backfill: Just when the market looked bright in August, the shipments turn glum after Labor Day. China is the only Big Four member to post a year-to-year increase at $19.7 million (+8.8%), ahead of India ($13.4 million, -7.8%) and Italy ($8.2 million, -19.3%). Spain offers the biggest boost (+73.0%) from last September, but it’s a small sliver of the import values at $1.3 million.

WORKED GRANITE VOLUME
Total: 102,766 metric tons (-23.4%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ 49,946 metric tons (-16.5%)

Backfill: The gears slip on the recovery express, as all of granite’s Big Four report double-digit declines from September 2011. Metric tonnage declines for China (24,202, -38.75), India (16,245, -20.5%) and Italy (4,884, -24.5%); only Spain shows any growth (2,003, +74.8%). And all countries shipping more than 1,000 metric tons monthly show sharp drop-offs from August 2012 levels.

WORKED MARBLE VALUE
Total: $20.8 million (+4.0%)
Sector leader: Italy @ $9.8 million (+3.7%)

Backfill: China takes second at $3.9 million (+1.7%), but the big gainer is Turkey at $2.4 million (+12.8%). Spain falls 13.1% to $1.1 million, and Greece builds 7.6% to $923,688. This September’s overall $20.9 million, meanwhile, is the lowest month in 2012 since April.

WORKED MARBLE VOLUME
Total: 16,970 metric tons (+7.2%)
Sector leader: Italy @ 4,950 metric tons (+0.1%)

Backfill: Turkey picks up the slack in slotting third at 2,967 metric tons (+65.0%) as China slips to 4,597 metric tons (-3.7%). Spain keeps 5.1% ahead of last year with 1,299 metric tons, but that’s less than half of the 2,631 metric tons it shipped this August.

TRAVERTINE VALUE
Total: $22.7 million (-5.8%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ $16.3 million (-4.4%)

Backfill: It’s another step back in value as September’s year-to-year losses are eerily close to August’s data. Mexico continues moving down to $3.3 million, falling 14.3% behind last September and marking the lowest month this year since January. Peru offers a nice 10.5% gain from 2011, but it’s several steps down at $708,855.

TRAVERTINE VOLUME
Total: 66,481 metric tons (+37.6%)
Sector leader: Turkey @ 59,481 metric tons (+45.8)

Backfill: You can’t judge a stone category by its book value, as Turkey claims less and ships more; it accounts for a staggering 89.5% share of all travertine tonnage in September. Mexico drops 15.4% with 4,036 metric tons, but retains second; China posts a healthy 39.9% gain to 1,265 metric tons. Peru’s value gain, meanwhile, translates to a small 3.4% raise in volume to 668 metric tons.