The US is the largest importer of finished marble products in the world. What was the trend of their imports in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 2017?
Stonenews.eu,after studying the statistical results* of the International Trade Centre, the UN Comtrade and the National Statistical Institutes, is presenting the finished marble imports of the US in the first quarter of 2018 and the corresponding changes from 2017.
There has been an increase in the total value of the US finished marble imports in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 2017. Going beyond the $ 273 million, it is the largest number of imports value in the first quarter of the last six years. It is worth mentioning that in the first quarters of the period 2013-2018 there was a total increase of 31.88%.
US imports from the three major suppliers, Italy, China and Turkey, were on the rise in the first quarter of 2018, affecting the overall increase in relation to 2017. Specifically, imports from China had an increase of 21.8%, from Turkey 4.57% and from Italy 3.07%.
In the table below we can see the value of finished marble imports in the US per month with the corresponding changes compared to 2017.
As seen in the Table, there was an increase in all three months. However, in March, a 16.02% rise came from the increase in imports from China by 63.02% and from Turkey by 19.45%. The 9.6% rise in February was due to the increase in imports from Italy by 26.74% and from China by 11.25%. In January, the increase in imports from China by 8.09% and from Turkey by 1.25% resulted in an increase of 3.75%.
* Due to consistent data flow, statistics may alter during the year
**The statistics are derived by the HS Codes below (Harmonized System Codes):
680221: Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excluding with a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802,10, setts, curbstones and flagstones).
680291: Marble, travertine and alabaster, in any form (excluding tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, imitation jewellery, clocks, lamps and lighting fittings and parts thereof, buttons, original sculptures and statuary, setts, curbstones and flagstones).
Sοurce: Stonenews.eu, ITC, UN Comtrade