U.S. Stone Imports, September 2011

OTHER CALCAREOUS VALUE
Total: $6.8 million (-9.4%)
Sector leader: China @ $1.2 million (19.3%)

Backfill: Of the top five countries sending the stone to the United States, only one posts a loss from last September, but Italy’s 35.9% drop at $810K is enough to kick the skids out of the market. Portugal remains relatively strong at $945K (up 21.2%) and Mexico shows a 43.6% gain at $547,856.

OTHER CALCAREOUS VOLUME
Total: 7,728 metric tons (-14.0%)
Sector leader: China @ 1,327 metric tons (39.5%)

Backfill: This always-volatile category shifts again on an odd circumstance. The top four exporters – Italy, China, Portugal and Mexico – offer gains, but fifth-place Turkey drops 20.4% from last September with 488 metric tons. The main ding comes from Egypt, the September 2010 leader with 1,768 metric tons; a year later, the country ships 285 metric tons, plummeting 83.9%.

SLATE VALUE
Total: $4.7 million (-3.2%)
Sector leader: China @ $2.2 million (-9.5%)

Backfill: India manages to better its September 2010 totals by 11.6% with nearly $1.7 million in shipments, but it’s not enough to offset China’s loss. Brazil also falters 3.3% at $410K; the United Kingdom offers a 4.6% gain, but it’s a small portion of the import pie at $183K.

OTHER STONE VALUE
Total: $15.1 million (-17.6%)
Sector leader: India @ $4.2 million (-14.8%)

Backfill: Even in the depths of the economic fizzle two years ago, this category managed $20.3 in import values. It continues to be a shamble at the top, with second-place Brazil dropping 34.3% from last year’s levels to $4.2 million. Italy, meanwhile, gets a nice pickup of 49.8% to $1.7 million, and Canada’s $1.6 million is a 10.4% increase.

OTHER STONE VOLUME
Total: 16,293 metric tons (-27.7%)
Sector leader: India @ 4,982 metric tons (-11.6%)

Backfill: Brazil takes a 44.1% hit from September 2010 with 4,696 metric tons, and third-place China manages to take a lesser 6.8% falls at 2,551 metric tons. Italy comes out best, as far as percentage gains from last September, at 15.6% … but with only 718 metric tons shipped to the United States.

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