Import Trends 2008

TRAVERTINE
The U.S. import market for travertine can be summed up with one country: Turkey. While it still holds two-thirds of the stone’s import market, Turkey’s also in the second year of shipping less of the stone to the United States.

The $400.3 million value of imported travertine last year marked a 25.7 percent decrease from 2007, on top of a slight 1.4-percent drop from 2006-2007. In 2008, Turkey continued to hold sway, with its $251.5 million in imports commanding 62.9 percent of market share – although that total value is down 26.5 percent from 2007’s $342.4 million.

Mexico found its travertine value dropping farther, with last year’s $70.3 million down 30.5 percent from 2007. India saw its annual travertine import value eroded in 2008 by 19.3 percent at $31 million, while Peru’s $21 million in 2008 marked a 12.3-percent drop from the previous year.

The 741,474 metric tons of travertine rolling through U.S. ports-of-entry last year represented a 17-percent drop from 2007. Turkey provided 555,984 metric tons, or a 14.1-percent decline from the previous year (and the second straight year of volume drop-off.)

Mexico’s 89,154 metric tons and Italy’s 29,595 metric tons of travertine exports to the United States last year both showed a 29-percent loss from 2007. Peru, meanwhile, managed a 17.6-percent increase from 2007 with last year’s 32,214 metric tons.

The U.S. dollar’s rising strength likely pushed the average value-per-metric-ton down for any country sending travertine here – save Italy, where it rose 14.2 percent in 2008 to $1,049.58. Turkey’s per-metric-ton average in 2008 dropped 14.4 percent to $456.51, while Mexico slipped a nominal 1.8 percent to $789.37. Peru, however, posted a 2008 per-metric-ton average of $652.66 – a 25.4-percent drop from 2007.