USITC Staff Report: Quartz Surfaces from India and Turkey staff report USITC | Page 27

Part II: Conditions of competition in the U.S. market
U.S. market characteristics
Quartz surface products are used in various interior hard surface applications including
countertops, vanities, flooring, tiles, and other applications. 1 Quartz surface products are a high
performing, durable, and low maintenance interior surface product. 2 The U.S. market for quartz
surface products has expanded as the products have developed a reputation for being durable
and low maintenance indoor surfaces, offered in a variety of patterns and colors. There are nine
responding U.S. producers (seven firms produce slabs and two are independent fabricators,)
and a large number of importers of quartz surface products.
Apparent U.S. consumption of quartz surface products increased overall during 2017-19
with a small decrease from 2018 to 2019. Overall, apparent U.S. consumption in 2019 was ***
percent higher than in 2017. U.S. demand for quartz surface products has increased as
producers of quartz surface products continue to make products with more diverse colors and
aesthetic designs, which allow for unique appearances or realistic natural appearances that
closely resemble, and better compete with, natural granite or natural marble. Dynamic design
properties of quartz surface products also allow producers to match consumer preferences.
The joint respondents MS International and Arizona Tile argued there is market
segmentation in the quartz surface products market, to where subject country imports serve a
mass market and domestic producers such as Cambria serve a luxury market. 3 Cambria noted
they also serve a mass market via big box retail stores, noted potential vendors opting for
subject products over their own, and provided examples of subject companies marketing their
products as luxury products as well. 4
1
Petition, vol. 1, p. 7.
2
Petition, vol. 1, pp. 6-7.
3
Joint respondents MS International and Arizona Tile’s responses to the first round of
Commissioners’ questions, pp. 25-31.
4
Petitioner’s responses to the first round of Commissioners’ questions, pp. 10-16.
II-1