Stone Imports: First-Half Improvements in 2012


TRAVERTINE

Market-maker Turkey didn’t seem too excited about topping last year’s import values for travertine, which led to nominal growth of less than 1% for first-half 2012.

Travertine Value – First Half 
(U.S. dollars)
2012 2011 Change
Turkey $89,411,261 $87,935,222 1.7%
Mexico $22,135,750 $24,519,526 -9.7%
Italy $7,718,881 $5,126,167 50.6%
Peru $4,752,565 $4,596,439 3.4%
China $4,627,354 $4,865,714 -4.9%
All Others $2,020,907 $2,764,322 -26.9%
Total $130,666,718 $129,807,390 0.7%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

In fact, Turkey’s 1.7% growth so far this year comes from a strong first quarter; April-June totals, meanwhile, fall 2.3% behind the same time in 2011. Italy remains the eager trader here – albeit in a distant third place – and Peru continues to show strong, $1-million-plus months on occasion.

Travertine shipments reaching U.S. ports-of-entry, meanwhile, are up 8.9% in January-June this year.

Travertine Volume – First Half 
(metric tons)
2012 2011 Change
Turkey 193,858 177,226 9.4%
Mexico 27,429 29,321 -6.5%
China 8,005 7,833 2.2%
Italy 4,991 3,315 50.6%
Peru 4,610 4,590 0.4%
All Others 7,377 3,802 94.0%
Total 246,270 226,087 8.9%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

Turkey’s overwhelming leadership – a 78.7% market share – is key here, allowing its 9.4% first-half growth to boost the sector. The only joker in the pack in the first-half pack is the near-doubling under “All Others,” where Canada ships 5,500 metric tons in May … and exactly one metric ton in the other five months combined.

OTHER CALCAREOUS

Stone’s most-volatile import sector starts off with good news: values for other calcareous materials are up 6.5% from first-half 2011.

Other Calcareous Value – First Half 
(U.S. dollars)
2012 2011 Change
China $7,652,774 $6,231,933 22.8%
Italy $7,108,135 $6,551,902 8.5%
Canada $5,538,233 $1,442,791 283.9%
Portugal $4,582,085 $5,573,444 -17.8%
France $3,823,722 $3,789,250 0.9%
Spain $3,543,459 $4,053,804 -12.6%
Turkey $3,517,806 $3,108,866 13.2%
Mexico $2,832,798 $4,077,114 -30.5%
Israel $2,066,015 $2,836,675 -27.2%
All Others $7,009,605 $7,081,363 -1.0%
Total $47,674,632 $44,747,142 6.5%
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Stone Update analysis

Given the often-bizarre relationship with volume concerning other calcareous materials, values can tell a misleading story. Frankly, that’s the case with this year’s first half, where only a massive increase by Canada ($1.4 million last year, $5.5 million this year) seems to push the sector into positive territory.