Final USITC Report on Chinese Quartz Imports June 2019 | Page 121

U.S. producers’ market share based on quantity decreased by *** percentage points
from 2015 to 2017, and were *** percentage points lower in interim 2018 compared to interim
2017. U.S. producers’ market share based on value decreased by *** percentage points from
2015 to 2017, and were *** percentage points lower in interim 2018 compared to interim
2017.
U.S. imports from China market share based on quantity increased by *** percentage
points from 2015 to 2017, and were *** percentage points higher during interim 2018 than
interim 2017. U.S. imports from China market share based on value increased by ***
percentage points from 2015 to 2017, and were *** percentage points higher in interim 2018
than in interim 2017. 18
18
At the Commission’s hearing, U.S. importer of quartz surface products from China, Marble Unique
(“MU”) Holdings indicated, “Until 2015, quartz was a relatively stable and small part of the U.S.
countertop market compared with natural stone substitutes like granite and marble. Then the mass
market for quartz took off in 2015-2016 when Chinese producers began producing a quartz product with
a natural marble look comprised of big, bold and thick lines Calacatta. Real Calacatta marble has
disadvantages as a countertop surface as it is easily scratched, can bruise, and is subject to etching.
Quartz made to look like Calacatta eliminated these issues for consumers and as such it began taking
substantial from natural stone, not from quartz products produced by American manufacturers like
Cambria.” Hearing transcript, p. 188 (Keck).
IV-19