Ceramic Imports Down 8.7% in September, Vinyl Imports Down 3.4%

Charlotte, NC, November 13, 2024-Truist reports on September import data for the ceramic and vinyl flooring categories.

Overall ceramic unit imports decreased 8.7% year over year (YOY), following a 16.4% decline last month. Mexico showed a modest unit decrease of 4.7% YOY and is down 15.0% year-to-date. India saw a sharp decrease, down 39.6% in units, following strong results earlier in the year ahead of an anti-dumping petition on ceramic tile from India.

Imports saw a modest decrease in September, down 3.4% YOY, following a sharp increase last month. Overall, year-to-date units are up 3.5%. Units from China, the largest source of material, saw a unit decrease of 40.2% and South Korea saw a notable gain of 22.5% YOY for seven months of strong gains. Marketshare shifts out of China reflect the struggle of lower-end residential LVT, with South Korean gains coming mostly in non-residential, in our view.