Final USITC Report on Chinese Quartz Imports June 2019 | Page 34
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retailer or part of a Cambria exclusivity arrangement until 2017. *** stated that it had been a
Cambria distributor for *** but that Cambria terminated the arrangement as of ***.
CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
Quartz surface products are sold to distributors, fabricators and retailers, contractors
and builders, and to other end users, as shown in table II‐1. 12 U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments of
quartz surface products were shipped mainly to fabricators and retailers during January 2015‐
September 2018, with distributors representing the second largest channel of distribution. 13
Approximately two‐thirds of U.S. fabricators’ U.S. shipments of quartz surface products were
shipped to fabricators and retailers, with the remaining quarter shipped to contractors/builders
and other end users. 14 15 U.S. importers’ U.S. shipments of quartz surface products from China
were also predominantly to fabricators and retailers. 16
12
Firms reported that “other end users” included slabs for product samples and marketing purposes,
showroom display, architects, homeowners, hotel owners, cabinet manufacturers, furniture
manufacturers, certified installers, and warranty replacements.
13
Cambria reported that it sells quartz slabs to *** fabricators from its own distribution centers.
Petitioner’s posthearing brief, Responses to Commission Questions, pp. 13‐14.
14
***.
15
U.S. fabricators that provided fabrication services and installation services for quartz surface
products were requested to report the shipments of these products as internal consumption.
Approximately *** percent of U.S. fabricators’ U.S. shipments of quartz surface products were internally
consumed for installation services in 2017, an increase from *** percent in 2015; the remaining share
was primarily sold to unrelated firms.
16
According to U.S. fabricator ***, imports of quartz surface products from China have increased in
all U.S. market segments but have predominantly increased in both the builders segment and
commercial projects that compete more on price.
II‐4