EnThe U.S. International Trade Commission has received a petition alleging dumping of Chinese exports of quartz countertops from China. The case is being unusual in covering the building materials sector (though the softwood lumber investigations cover the same industry) while the product category is not currently subject to U.S. section 301 duties as outlined in Panjiva research of April 6.
Panjiva data shows clear signs of accelerated exports from China, with U.S. imports having risen 62.3% on a year earlier bringing total import growth to 32.4%. That’s come at the expense of suppliers from Spain and elsewhere with Chinese supplies reaching 60.8% of the total. At the same time the average import value per square meter has fallen 12.8% on a year earlier, indicating aggressive price competition. The reversal of that following a trade case will, of course, result in increased costs for American kitchen fitters.
Source: Panjiva
