U.S. Tile Consumption Increased in Q3 2022, Despite Rising Prices

January 19, 2023 from Floor Focus FloorDaily News

Anderson, SC, January 19, 2023 -Through 3Q 2022, total U.S. ceramic tile consumption was up 1.3% by volume year over year, reports the Tile Council of North America.

Through 3Q 2022, the U.S. imported 1.70 billion square feet of ceramic tile, up 1.3% versus this time last year. Imports comprised 71.6% of 3Q 2022 U.S. tile consumption by volume, down slightly from 71.7% in 2021.

Spain, Italy and Mexico–consistently the top foreign suppliers–saw small decreases in volume in 3Q 2022, while India shot up nearly 30% as the fourth-largest foreign supplier.
U.S. shipments (less exports) through 3Q 2022 were 672.8 million square feet, up 1.1% year over year.

The dollar value per square foot of domestic shipments through 3Q 2022 was $1.65, up from $1.54 in 3Q 2021, a 7.1% increase. Import prices rose at a much higher rate.

Per square foot, Spain shot up 43.7%, going from $1.26 in Q3 2021 to $1.81 in Q3 2022; Italy rose 15.3%, from $2.02 to $2.33; Mexico went from $0.67 to $0.74, a 10.4% increase; India increased 18.9%, going from $0.74 to $0.88; and Turkey, which holds the fifth spot by volume, went from $0.75 to $0.96, a 28% increase.

U.S. ceramic tile exports through 3Q 2022 were 40.9 million square feet, up 46.1% year over year. The two largest consumers of U.S. exports by volume were Canada (68.5%) and Mexico (20.9%).