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TRANSCRIPT
Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
00:33
A review of special anti-dumping tariffs on India-made quartz surfaces is going to get another look.
A federal judge in New York ruled at the end of May that the U.S. Commerce Department and quartz-producers and importers will have to come up with a new plan to finish a review that began in 2021. They have until June 27 to come up with a new plan.
Under what’s called a “slip review,” the U.S. Court of International Trade – the CIT – sent the review back to the Commerce Department to iron out a process that led to a proposed massive increase in tariff rates in 2022. Many of the changes were then rolled back in early 2023.
The matter comes down to a late document submittal from a surface producer in India. Three companies known collectively as the Antique Group were told to submit answers to the Commerce Department. After getting two extensions, the answers were delivered in mid-afternoon, rather than the 10 a.m. deadline that had been set.
The result was an increase in tariffs for 51 other India-based producers to 161.5 percent and to 323 percent for the Antique Group. A re-review by the Commerce Department early last year lowered the rate for the 51 producers back to 3.19 percent but left the Antique Group at the highest number.
CIT Judge Mark Barnett ruled that federal officials didn’t provide sufficient reasons for the decision to have a 10 a.m. deadline when the agency’s usual deadline is 5 p.m., and the Antique Group’s late filing was inadvertent. He also ruled that Commerce Department officials also couldn’t support its tariff-rate rollback decision in January 2023 cutting the rate for the other 51 companies.
02:26
In the meantime, new duties on ceramic tile from India took a big step forward at the end of last month as U.S. regulators voted to continue investigations on product dumping and unfair subsidies.
The U.S International Trade Commission – the USITC – voted unanimously that the U.S. ceramic-tile industry has been “materially injured by reason of imports of ceramic tile from India.” The action came after the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile – the CFTCT – a group of nine U.S. tile producers, alleged unfair-trade methods by Indian manufacturers and exporters.
The USITC didn’t impose duties immediately. The U.S. Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration – the ITA – will further investigate the matter and develop possible preliminary duties regarding anti-dumping and countervailing.
If the investigation finds sufficient evidence, preliminary duties on countervailing, or subsidies, should be announced by the middle of next month, and on anti-dumping by late September, although those dates could be extended.
During a preliminary investigation into the matter, testifying for the petition were officials from Florida Tile, Portobello America, Florim and Dal-Tile. Opponents included the CEOs of MSI and Bedrosians.
Eric Astrachan, executive director of the Tile Council of North America and the CFTCT, says, “As allowed by international law, tariffs level the playing field by offsetting otherwise injurious practices.”
05:18
The Brazilian natural stone market reached a milestone in the first four months of 2024. Exports totaled $387.9 million (U.S.) from January through April. The figure is the highest in the past 10 years.
Numbers released in early May by the Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters (Centrorochas), showed a 15.7% growth rate over that time.
The major destinations of these exports were the United States, with a 58.06% share, China at 14.1%, followed by Italy, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The growth in exports of natural stone to the U.S. is a 30.2% increase.
The demand for quartzite was particularly strong in the United States, which represents 55% of everything exported, and grew by 57% over the previous year.
Since January, Centrorochas has taken part in four major events through its program It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone that promotes exports developed by Centrorochas and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency ApexBrasil. Three of them have been in the United States and the other in China.
Says Tales Machado, president of the national natural stone association, “We’re excited about the positive results obtained by the stone industry so far. We’re always very proud of the reception our products receive in the international market.”
06:49
When attendees at this year’s Marmomac trade show in Verona, Italy, enter the halls, they’ll find plenty of imaginative uses of natural stone paired with today’s technology.
At a press conference in Milan, Italy, in late May, event organizer Veronafiere previewed a selection of exhibits that will appear at Marmomac Sept. 24-27. With more than 1,500 exhibitors present each year, the fair provides a unique showcase for a comprehensive overview of the latest innovation in both lithic products and machinery and tools for marble and granite processing and care.
Says Raul Barbieri, marketing and sales director of Veroniafiere, “Natural stone continues to be a prestigious and versatile material, capable of adding value to any architectural or design project with its beauty and unique properties.
Returning to this year’s show will be “A Matter of Stone,” featuring a selection of Italian and international companies showcasing design productions and applications for architects, interior designers and industry professionals.
In “The Plus Theatre,” this year’s theme will be material, and individual exhibits will highlight the many facets of natural stone. The “Walk of Stone” is inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but with natural stone taking the starring role.
The exhibition “Full/Empty” will showcase sculpture created in the age of CNC abrasive milling or diamond and waterjet cutting. There’s also Viaggio al centro della tavola, or “Journey to the Center of the Table,” with stone tables made with slabs, and centerpieces created with the most advanced technologies.
These and other concepts will materialize in an innovative setup depicting a hypothetical “design workshop of the future,” where computational design coexists with digital fabrication and artisanal expertise, with all related to technical tools.
For more information on this year’s Marmomac show, go to www.marmomac.com
Nearly 25,000 industry professionals from all business sectors of the hardscape industry and beyond attended Coverings 2024, which was held at the Georgia World Congress Center April 22-25.
08:54
Along with the United States, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Turkey, and Portugal were among foreign nations with pavilions featuring tile, stone, and equipment. Coverings 2024 attracted nearly 1,100 exhibitors from 40 different countries.
One of the significant takeaways for Taffy Event Strategies, the show’s management company, was the number of what it called “young professionals” — people 40 and under — attending the show. Twenty-four percent of attendees were identified as belonging to that category, a statistic that show organizers say reflects Coverings’ ongoing dedication to supporting the next generation of tile and stone professionals.
Coverings 2024 showed notable increases in first-time attendees, who accounted for nearly half of the attendance.
“Coverings consistently cultivates fresh insights for innovative collaborations while facilitating impactful business connections and profitable partnerships. This enduring appeal draws exhibitors back to the event year after year to engage with influential tile and stone decision-makers, source global products and lay the foundation for business growth,” says Jenn Heinold, Taffy Event Strategies president.
Coverings 2025 is slated for April 29-May 2 next year at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. To be notified when registration opens, go to www.coverings.com.
In other news around the industry….
10:46
The first stone show for Southeast Asia will premier this December in Vietnam. ASEAN Stone is set for Dec. 11-14 at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in Ho Chi Minh City. It will run concurrently with the ASEAN Ceramics event.
The show is being produced by Singapore-based MMI Asia, the regional subsidiary of Messe München GmbH, and is expected to bring 300 exhibitors and more than 5,000 trade visitors to the twin events.
ASEAN Stone 2024 is the first dedicated exhibition of stone, allied machinery, tools, chemicals and materials in Southeast Asia, including granite, quartz, marble slabs, mosaic and natural stone, as well as stone processing and cutting devices, quarrying machines and polishing equipment.
Several supporting programs will provide an interactive platform for regional buyers to meet global suppliers. Events will include academic seminars, product showcasing, a hosted buyer program, pre-event factory tour, networking dinner and more than 50 conference sessions.
For more information, to go www.aseanceramics.com/asean-stone-2024.
12:08
The International Surface Fabricators Association has opened nominations for its annual awards program. The ISFA Awards program honors excellence in application design, fabrication and installation of projects using surfacing materials across seven categories.
The ISFA Awards are open to all ISFA fabricator-members representing successful applications. Associate members may submit entries or nominate ISFA fabricators for consideration.
Project submissions must have been completed within the two previous calendar years prior to the entry deadline and comply with all association standards. Projects may be considered in multiple categories if they meet the criteria.
Five of the categories are project based. They are:
Commercial Projects Under $100K and more than $100K;
Residential projects under $20K and more than $20K; and
Sustainable project of the year.
Two other awards are given to individuals or companies that excel in the industry. They are:
The Fabricator of the Year, recognizing an individual or company that best exemplifies excellence in business using the ISFA ideals of quality, innovation, character and service to the association and the surfacing industry, and
The USFA Hall of Fame, honoring an individual who has, during his or her career, made significant contributions to the surfacing industry and demonstrated leadership and a commitment to the association’s ideals.
The deadline for submission is July 31, 2024. For complete details about the ISFA Awards and to submit an entry, go to www.ISFAnow.org/ISFA-awards.
13:48
And Michael Poortinga has joined Alpha Professional Tools® to represent the company in its Midwest territory. In his new role he will cover the states of Arkansas, Iowa, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Poortinga is a second-generation mason who has been involved with installations for more than 20 years. He has experience working with various tools and techniques on residential and commercial projects with wall work and hardscapes.
More recently, he has worked with natural stone and stone suppliers and has previous sales management experience. He may be reached at 650-849-7105 or at mpoortinga@alpha-tools.com.
Remember, the latest issue of Stone Update Magazine is now available at www.stonemag.com. For a transcript of this broadcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. For Radio Stone Update, I’m K. Schipper and we’ll see you here again soon.