U.S. Surface Imports October 2017
Quartz-surface imports continues at a record growth pace at U.S. ports-of-entry as 2017 headed into its final quarter, according to customs tallies.
The Stone Update analysis of October data from the U.S International Trade Commission showed year-to-year growth in the volume of quartz-slab imports rose by 55.8% — and the October-to-October jump for the leading exporter, China, came in at an astounding 88.3%.
October, however, didn’t represent another record month for quartz-surface imports. Totals fell short of this September’s mark of 11,064,202 ft².
Granite remained in its slow-recovery mode, with this October’s performance at an all-but-frictional dip of 0.8%. Market-leader Brazil continued posting better numbers than in this year’s first quarter, and gains from last October came in at a healthy 8.5%. Canada’s year-to-year shipments dropped 69.4% this October, but the country sent an abnormally large amount south of the border in October 2016. Italy, meanwhile, continued to drop, with its October shipments showing a yearly decoine of 21.9%
Marble bettered its import performance from October 2016 by 16.2%, based mainly on accelerated shipments from Turkey, which scored a 73.9% rise. Increased activity from India (62.6%) and Brazil (63.5%) offset sluggish exports from Italy (-8%) and China (-31.9%).
The import totals appear to be on tracks with trends seen in third-quarter 2017 analysis of data in the current issue of Stone Update Magazine. That includes the ascendance of quartz surfaces, in terms of value, as the number-one dimensional U.S. surface import.
WORKED GRANITE
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October 2017: 126,758 metric tons
Change from previous year: -0.8%
Market leader: Brazil, 61,899 metric tons
Change from previous year: 8.5%
WORKED MARBLE
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October 2017: 36,459 metric tons
Change from previous year: 16.2%
Market leader: Turkey, 10,161 metric tons
Change from previous year: 73.9%
QUARTZ SURFACES
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October 2017: 10,628,253 ft²
Change from previous year: 51.8%
Market leader: China, 6,337,289 ft²
Change from previous year: 88.3%
TRAVERTINE
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October 2017: 22,113 metric tons
Change from previous year: -6.3%
Market leader: Turkey, 15,541 metric tons
Change from previous year: -6.3%
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