StatWatch: February 2011
SchwartzkopfStatWatch is a snapshot of U.S. dimensional-stone imports, offering a summary and exclusive Stone Business 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 February 2011 (change from February 2010 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).
WORKED GRANITE VALUE
Total: $51.4 million (8.0%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ $18.4 million (26.5%)
Backfill: Sharp-eyed readers of StatWatch online will see February’s performance as a major dip from January 2011’s $73.7 million – but February always tends to show a decline from the first month of the year. It’s winter, construction work is slow … and the second month is also the shortest.
Granite’s big four made some progress between the Februaries, with China ($15.6 million, up 4.4 percent from 2010) and Italy ($5.7 million, up 4 percent) showing an uptick. India, meanwhile, comes in at $8.4 million, down 10.5 percent from the previous February.
WORKED GRANITE VOLUME
Total: 59,115 metric tons (-40.8%)
Sector leader: Brazil @ 21,491 metric tons (20.5%)
Backfill: So why does February look like a disaster as far as granite slab/tile tonnage? The culprit’s India; February 2010 accounted for 53,222 metric tons, marking the country’s second-best month of the year. This February, India’s U.S. shipments are 10,540 metric tons – an 80.2-percent drop-off.