U.S. Finds Evasion of AD/CVD Duties On Chinese Quartz Imports
LE SUEUR, MN — U.S. Customs and Border Protection has determined in a preliminary finding that two Chinese importers of quartz surfaces have allegedly evaded antidumping and countervailing duties imposed by U.S. trade officials, according to Cambria Company LLC.
The Le Sueur, MN-based Cambria, the leading domestic supplier of quartz surfaces, said that the pair of importers were found in violation of trade sanctions by misclassifying the products in question as “crushed glass,” which is outside the scope of the AD/CVD orders. U.S. Customs now has seven months to continue its investigation and determine appropriate penalties.
“This announcement by U.S. Customs confirms that there are U.S. importers who are falsely claiming that their quartz surfaces are not covered by the AD/CVD orders because they are “crushed glass” surfaces,” said Marty Davis, president and CEO of Cambria. “By making these false claims, unscrupulous importers continue to import Chinese merchandise without paying the applicable AD/CVD duties.”
Other importers evade the AD/CVD duties, Davis charged, through trans-
shipment of Chinese merchandise through third countries before entering the U.S. without payment of the duties.
“The industry should now know that U.S. Customs and Cambria are fully aware of the ways that importers are undermining the AD/CVD duties that were imposed to stop illegal trade violating U.S. trade law and level the playing field for American companies like Cambria,” Davis said.
“Additional research by Cambria has revealed that a significant portion of the merchandise being imported from China as ‘crushed glass’ surfaces is actually covered by the scope of the AD/CVD orders,” Davis said, vowing that Cambria “continues to work with U.S. Customs to identify and hold responsible any foreign exporters and U.S. importers that are evading the AD/CVD duties through this or any other evasion scheme.”
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Markets Respond as COVID Impact Lessens
The nation’s housing, residential remodeling and kitchen/bath markets each continued to respond to post-COVID realities as 2021 enters its final months and the impact of the global pandemic dissipates. Among the key statistics and forecasts released in recent weeks by government agencies, research firms and industry-related trade associations were the following:
HOUSING STARTS & NEW-HOME SALES
Continuing a trend from the beginning of 2020, low-density, low-cost markets continue to outperform other regional geographies with respect to home construction, according to the National Association of Home Builders. “With the shift to telework brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, housing demand continues to show the strongest gains in lower-density markets as people have flexibility to live outside some metro areas,” said Chuck Fowke, chairman of the Washington, DC-based NAHB. “As workplaces increasingly adopt hybrid work models, renters and buyers will have increased (need) to minimize travel times and reduce both housing and transportation cost burdens,” noted NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz, adding that homebuilding is expanding most rapidly in locations with the shortest commuting times.
EXISTING-HOME SALES
Although housing supply continues to fall short of demand, additional inventory is expected to enter the market later this year as further COVID-19 vaccinations are administered and the number of homeowners in mortgage forbearance continues to decline, according to the National Association of Realtors. Although housing demand is still strong compared to one year ago, existing-home sales have lagged in recent months, the Washington, DC-based NAR reported, noting that total housing inventory was down more than 20% from a year ago. Despite the recent lag in sales, however, “the additional supply projected for the market should cool down the torrid pace of price appreciation later in the year,” NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun predicted. Total existing-home sales were pegged at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.8 million units, up 44.6% from a year ago, according to the latest figures. “Home sales are now approaching pre-pandemic activity,” observed Yun. And although a lack of inventory continues to be the overwhelming factor holding back home sales, the outlook, Yun said, remains “encouraging.”
CABINET & VANITY SALES
Major domestic kitchen cabinet and vanity manufacturers continued to post strong sales gains through the first five months of 2021, as demand remains at record heights and the impact of COVID-19 continues to dissipate, according to the latest in a series of monthly surveys by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association. The KCMA’s latest “Trend of Business Survey” reflected a year-to-date sales increase of 21.6% through May when compared to the same five-month period last year. Custom cabinet sales through the first five months of 2021 were up 23.5% over the same period last year, while semi-custom cabinet sales rose 21.3%, and stock cabinet sales gained 21.4%, the Reston, VA-based KCMA said, adding that overall May sales were up 32.9% compared to the same month last year. Survey participants include stock, semi-custom and custom companies whose combined sales represent approximately 75% of the U.S. kitchen cabinet and bath vanity market, according to the KCMA.
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Textures in Tile
While cabinets, counters, fixtures and appliances often anchor a kitchen or bath, it’s the secondary items like tile and hardware that can add the true decorative flair. Tile can carry a neutral design and add calm to the space, or provide bold color and rugged texture to deliver the wow factor.
Stone, glass, porcelain and ceramic are among the myriad elements that can be used to create tile, and all add their own look and feel to a space. Whether the desire is for a nature-inspired look or a glossy, modern appeal, tile can provide just the right accent.
–Subway tile continues to trend, but the classic look is getting an update with an array of colors and smooth texture that looks handmade.
–Shapes go beyond squares and rectangles, encompassing everything from hexagons to triangles to arabesques to chevrons.
–Three-dimensional tiles continue to garner attention, delivering surfaces that feature irregular patterns and an organic look and feel.
–Cement tiles with painted patterns add drama to backsplashes and showers alike, providing a bold addition to overall designs.
–Pastels and neutrals yield a softer hue, while saturated jewel tones and earth-inspired shades add an organic touch to spaces.
–Matte tile surfaces and textures are currently garnering major attention, complementing weathered woods, raw and patinaed metals and matte finishes on faucets, appliances and hardware.
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