The Tile Council of North America, Inc. (TCNA) has published its 2017 U.S. Ceramic Tile Industry Update, and the news is nearly all positive. The general economy, construction market, housing market, interest rates and unemployment rate have all contributed to a productive year, surpassing 3 billion sq. ft. for the first time in 11 years. At 3.05 billion sq. ft., total consumption rose by 5.1 percent over the previous year and the fourth highest it’s been in history.

U.S. Tile Shipments

Domestic tile shipments increased by 4.1 percent in 2017, setting a new record of 946.5 million sq. ft. This marks the eighth straight year of growth, and the rise is being attributed to new production facilities for ceramic tile in Tennessee.

Tile manufactured in the U.S. is the most popular choice in the domestic market with 31.1 percent of the share, followed by China at 21.6 percent, Mexico at 13.1 percent and Italy coming in at 12.4 percent.

The value of FOB factory sales was also up by 6.1 percent, setting a record at $1.43 billion. By the value metric, U.S. tile accounted for 39.3 percent of the domestic market with Italy coming in second with a 20.5 percent share.

Tile Imports

Total tile imports are much higher than U.S. tile shipments, making up 68.6 percent of domestic consumption. Imports were up in 2017 by 5.6 percent to 2.10 billion sq. ft. China has been the largest exporter of ceramic tile since overtaking Mexico in 2015, and Chinese tile accounted for 31.3 percent of U.S. imports.

The next four largest exporters are as follows:

• Mexico – 18.9 percent
• Italy – 18.1 percent
• Spain – 11.7 percent
• Turkey – 6.2 percent

Tile Exports

The only bad news from TCNA Tile Industry Update is that U.S. ceramic tile exports fell by 21.3 percent to 28.5 million sq. ft.

Architectural Surfaces Group (ASG) debuted an exclusive new collection of wall tile. The Backsplash Innovations program is geared toward homeowners and addresses what can be an overwhelming experience. Each tile series in the collection has been selected specifically to work for backsplashes, taking much of the guesswork out of the selection process. The program includes an assortment of ceramic tile, unique glass mosaics, and natural stone in various sizes, colors, shapes, and textures. Color options have also been specifically selected to easily coordinate with the company’s quartz, natural stone, and porcelain slab materials, ensuring infinite design possibilities while keeping the process simple.

You may also be interested in this article about backsplash trends.

According to information released from the Tile of Spain group, tile sales are on the rise for Spanish producers. The organization, which is the Spanish Ceramic Tile Manufacturer’s Association (ASCER) representing 125 manufacturers made the following information available:

“During the first six months of 2016, Spanish Tile producers have exported 1,349 million Euros to 183 countries. Sales have grown by 6.8 percent in comparison with the same period in 2015,” stated the release. “The United States is the fastest growing market this year, whereas sales in the Russian Federation and the Middle East North Africa region have ceased to grow or, in some countries, decreased. The growth of the sales to the United States in the last years has been remarkable. From January to June (2016), the sales grew by 36.6 percent. The United States is the second most important market for the Spanish Ceramic Tile producers (6.9 percent of total sales) behind Europe.”

This information reaffirms what fabricators around the United States have been saying – business is booming. And while most research, such as that conducted by Freedonia or Catalina show tile usage as a countertop surface slowing down in America, plenty is still being used in backsplash applications, as well as bathrooms and flooring.

In related news, Tile of Spain launched the Cersaie ’16 App in advance of this month’s show that runs Sept. 26 through Sept. 30 in Bologna, Italy. Once again, the group of Spanish ceramic companies is the largest foreign delegation at the show. The free Cersaie ’16 App, which is available for iOS and Android devices, allows access to all Spanish ceramic tile companies at the event. Participants can search through exhibitors, filter by sector and add their favorite companies to a “must visit” list, which can be shared with colleagues via email.

The Tile of Spain Cersaie ’16 App can be downloaded by clicking here, or at the Google Play or App Store.

We’d love to hear your take on the tile market in the United States or elsewhere. Post a response or email us at [email protected].

You may also be interested in this article on countertop and kitchen trends in 2016.

LATICRETE announced the introduction of STRATA_MAT™ XT, a next-generation, high-performance uncoupling membrane designed specifically for ceramic tile and dimension stone installations. STRATA_MAT XT reportedly provides vapor management, eliminates transmission of in-plane substrate cracks of up to 1/8 in., assists with easier floor layout with chalk lines that are easily visible on the surface prior to tile installation and performs all these functions while still providing the requisite support and load distribution for tile and stone covering. At 5/16 in. thick STRATA_MAT XT helps to create an even transition between typical ¼ in. to 3/8 in. thick tile and ¾ in. thick hardwood flooring. This new product also reportedly allows installers to see mortar coverage underneath the mat during installation without having to lift and verify. STRATA_MAT XT comes in 150 ft. rolls measuring 45 in. by 40 ft. and measures 5/16 in. thick.

“Lightweight and easy to carry, STRATA_MAT™ XT is also fast to install with standard tools,” said Sean Boyle, senior director of marketing and product management. “This next generation product has countless applications. For example, it is suitable for interior non-industrial vehicular traffic applications over concrete substrates, and it can also be used to create an even transition between tile and hardwood flooring. The list goes on and on.”

Available for purchase in July 2016, STRATA_MAT XT features Mortar Hydration Vents, which create a mechanical bond between the mat and adhesive mortar and allow the mortar to cure faster. According to the company this provides a stronger bond of tile and permits faster time to grout when using both modified or unmodified mortars—enabling the use of the appropriate mortar for an installation.

Part of the LATICRETE® Lifetime System Warranty, STRATA_MAT XT may be used on almost any substrate including: concrete, mortar beds, oriented strand board, exterior glue plywood, cement backer board, cement terrazzo, resilient flooring, existing tile or stone, gypsum underlayment and light weight concrete.

Laticrete, a global manufacturer and leader of  installation and finishing systems for the building industry, recently celebrated its 60th anniversary. The theme of the celebration was “60 Years of Building Chemistry,” which recognized the products and relationships the company built over the last 60 years.
The company’s founder, Dr. Henry M. Rothberg, was noted for revolutionizing installation techniques for ceramic tile and stone using the “adhesive mortar method.” Dr. Rothberg’s research in the chemical engineering field is now reportedly the basis for all modern adhesives used in ceramic tile and stone installations.

Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants Inc. (CTaSC), a marketing research and business planning services provider, announced Tom Kotel, owner of Mid-America Tile, a distributor and importer in Chicago, is the winner of a $600 Apple gift certificate.  Kotel was randomly chosen as part of a raffle for completing the CTaSC 2013 Stone Survey. Participants answered a series of questions based on their business category, such as importers/distributors and fabricators.  The survey results are included in the Catalina 2013 Natural and Manufactured Stone Products Report prepared by Catalina Research and CTaSC.  The survey results will be  integrated into the 2013 Natural and Manufactured Stone Product Report.  This publication, which is being updated from 2010, will provide analysis of the U.S. and Canadian stone industry based on U.S. government statistics and market resources.  Some of the topics are covered include trends and forecasts for the stone industry and the current state of the economy, sales by type of stone, engineered/quartz stone, manufactured stone (made of concrete), end-use markets trends and demographics, economic factors effecting demand for stone, imports and exports, installers, retailers and home centers.  It will also have sections on fabricators operation costs and profitability, stone industry cost structure and competitive environment, industry capital expenditures and machinery costs.

Catalina Research and Ceramic Tile And Stone Consultants (CTaSC) announced the release of the new 196-page Catalina Report on Ceramic Tile Product Industry Report dated December 2012.

This fact-filled report provides up-to-date information on North American and world markets, and ceramic tile’s position in the U.S. markets.

In addition, the report takes an in-depth look at the current state of U.S. construction activity and analyzes the market potential for ceramic tile. The timely data allows users to evaluate market size, growth potential, end-use markets, profitability, market share and the competitive environment.

Catalina Research added new features to the latest edition including a breakdown of porcelain and ceramic tiles, and an analysis of the glass tile market.  In addition, Catalina provides data on retail ceramic tile sales by channel and customer type, and calculated retail market shares for the leading retailers and manufacturer sales networks.

This in-depth report covers pertinent data and information by providing ceramic tile sales for residential and non-residential markets and for new construction and remodeling markets.  End-use market trends are correlated with U.S. housing demand, homeowner hard surface replacement projects and spending, characteristics of new homes, non-residential construction spending, mortgage interest rates, and other economic indicators to uncover the factors driving demand and provide insights into the direction of domestic demand in 2013 and beyond.

Catalina Research and CTaSC also announces the upcoming release of the Natural Stone and Manufactured Stone Products Report due to be released in March 2013.

The U.S. Natural and Manufactured Stone Products Industry Trends Report will provide up-to-date market trends information on all of the different geological classifications of natural stone and will include sections on manufactured and engineered stone products.  Those who pre-purchase this new report will be provided the 2010 version of the report for free. Those who purchase both the ceramic tile report and stone report together will be given a discount.