U.S. Market Strong for Stone

VERONA, Italy – If there’s one message the stone industry would like to send to this continent, it’s a simple one: Keep buying.
North America continues to be the bright spot for stone consumption, according to the Association of Italian Stone Machinery, Manufacturers and Allied Trades (ACIMM) and the Italian stone association Assomarmi. In particular, U.S. demand isn’t slowing down, unlike other areas on the globe.
ACIMM estimates that 2002 world production of dimensional stone stood at 140 million tons, representing a seven-percent increase from 2001. Worldwide trade last year, meanwhile, grew by eight percent from the previous year.
ACIMM also noted China as the leading quarrier, and as the country with the best growth in production. The top five producing countries – China, Italy, Spain, India and Portugal – accounted for 53 percent of world quarrying production in 2002.
Research by Assomarmi also noted China’s dramatic rise in production. The volume of dimensional stone quarried in China came to 14 million tons in 2002 – an increase of close to 20 percent from the previous year. China’s exports grew at a slightly greater rate, with the 5.7 million tons of stone shipped from the country last year representing a 21.8-percent hike from 2001.
ACIMM also noted North America as showing the best growth in terms of stone consumption. The market is heading the other way in Europe, with ACIMM noting recessionary trends in Italy, Greece and Spain.