Final USITC Report on Chinese Quartz Imports June 2019 | Page 76

Table III-6
Quartz surface products: Summary of sufficient production-related activities factors by type of
domestic entity
Item
U.S. slab producers
Independent U.S. fabricators
Capital investments
***
***
Technical expertise
***
***
Value added
***
***
Employment
***
***
Quantity, type, and source of
US parts
***
***
Costs and activities
***
***
Source: Compiled from data submitted in response to Commission questionnaires.
U.S. PRODUCTION, CAPACITY, AND CAPACITY UTILIZATION
Table III-7 and figure III-1 present U.S. slab producers’ production, capacity, and capacity
utilization for 2015-17 and the January-September (interim) periods in 2017 and 2018. Slab
producers’ capacity increased by *** percent from 2015 to 2017, and it was higher in interim
2018 than interim 2017 by *** percent. 10 Total production increased by *** percent from 2015
to 2017, and it was higher during interim 2018 than interim 2017 by *** percent. 11 While slab
production increased over the period in the aggregate and individually for each producer,
production by *** increased more, by some *** square feet, compared to *** which only
increased production by some *** square feet in 2015-17. This resulted in *** ***. Two
additional U.S. producers began slab production in the first quarter of 2019. Capacity utilization
decreased by *** percentage points from 2015 to
10
At the Commission’s hearing, the respondents indicated “U.S. slab production is poised to continue
its strong growth, with two additional producers, Dal-Tile and USA Quartz, beginning production after
the end of the POI, and LG opening another production line in December 2019. A structural deficit exists
in the U.S. QSP market. Demand for QSP far exceeds domestic industry capacity, even as reported.”
Hearing transcript, p. 210 (Dougan).
11
The main reason for these increases in capacity and production is ***. *** U.S. producer
questionnaire response, section II-2a.
III-12