[Clemson, S.C.] The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) has released the 2021 U.S. Ceramic Tile Market Update.

Supported by gains in the U.S. construction and housing markets and robust overall economic growth, U.S. ceramic tile consumption increased for the first time since 2018, TCNA reported.

According to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce & Tile Council of North America, total U.S. ceramic tile consumption in 2021 was 3.11 billion square feet, up 9.9 percent from the previous year.

Imports:

U.S. imports in 2021 reached their highest level in fifteen years, TCNA reported. The 2.23 billion square feet of tile imported last year was a 13.6 percent increase from 2020, according to the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.

Spain, which in 2020 supplanted China as the largest exporter of ceramic tile to the U.S. by volume, maintained this position. Spanish imports held a 22.2 percent share of total U.S. imports by volume in 2021, up from 20.7 percent the previous year.

Italy was the second largest exporter to the U.S. by volume, its highest position since 2008. Italian-produced tiles made up 17.4 percent of the U.S. import market last year, up from 16.6 percent the previous year.

Mexico, which was the third largest exporter to the U.S., has seen its share of total imports fall steadily over the last decade from an all-time high of 31.5 percent in 2012 to 16.1 percent last year.

Rounding out the top five were Turkey (13.5 percent share) and Brazil with a 10.7 percent share of U.S. imports by volume.

On a dollar basis (CIF + duty) Italy remained the largest exporter to the U.S. making up 31.6 percent of 2021 U.S. imports, followed by Spain (25.3 percent share) and Mexico (9.8 percent share).

U.S. Shipments:

U.S. manufacturers shipped 880.3 million square feet of ceramic tile domestically last year, a 1.5 percent increase from 2020.

Though imports’ share of U.S. consumption grew from 69.4 percent in 2020 to 71.7 percent last year, domestically-produced tiles’ share of consumption (28.3 percent) remained far ahead of all other individual countries exporting tile to the U.S., with the nearest being Spain (15.9 percent of U.S. tile consumption), Italy (12.5 percent) and Mexico (11.5 percent).

In dollars, 2021 U.S. FOB factory sales of domestic shipments were $1.36 billion, a 5 percent increase from 2020. U.S. shipments comprised 35.2 percent of 2021 total U.S. tile consumption by value, down from 39.3 percent the previous year.

The per unit value of domestic shipments increased from $1.49/square foot in 2020 to $1.54/square foot last year, according to TCNA.

U.S. Exports:

U.S. ceramic tile exports in 2021 were 38 million square feet, a 22.5 percent increase from the previous year, TCNA reported. The two largest consumers of U.S. exports by volume were Canada (70.7 percent) and Mexico (14.3 percent).

The value of U.S. exports rose 29.8 percent from $31.2 million in 2020 to $40.4 million last year, according to U.S. Dept. of Commerce.

Housing Market Highlights:

New Home Starts
In the residential market, despite supply chain and labor issues, new home starts rose for the twelfth consecutive year and were at their highest point since 2006. The 1.60 million units started in 2021 represented a 16 percent increase from the previous year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

New Single-Family Home Sales
With record-high average new home prices and a low supply of available properties, new single-family home sales fell for the first time in a decade. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the 770,000 units sold in 2021 represented a 6.3 percent decline from the previous year.