The Standoff Between The United States And Iran Has Led To Fluctuations in Global Supply Chains, And The Cost End Of The Quartz Stone Industry Continues To Face Pressure.

The standoff between the United States and Iran has significantly increased the shipping risks in the Strait of Hormuz, which is the core export market for quartz stone in China. Local infrastructure and decoration projects have been suspended, overseas buyers are waiting and barging for lower prices, and export orders have declined significantly. Ships have taken detours around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid danger, resulting in longer sailing times. Additionally, the cost of war insurance has risen sharply. As a result, the profits of foreign trade enterprises have been continuously squeezed.
1. Causes of the Surge in Shipping Costs and Industry Impact
The conflict has pushed up international crude oil prices, causing a significant increase in the cost of ship fuel. The detour routes have further increased fuel consumption. The avoidance of danger has led to congestion at ports and a shortage of container space. Shipping companies have also added war surcharges and fuel surcharges. Quartz stone, which is a heavy and large plate, has seen a much higher increase in single-container logistics costs compared to ordinary goods.
The proportion of logistics costs in the total export price has risen significantly. Small enterprises have lost orders by raising prices and suffered losses by not raising prices; long-term delays have led to construction deadlines being breached by overseas customers, and some customers have turned to Turkish and Indian stone manufacturers. Factory goods have accumulated, and the pressure on capital turnover has intensified.
2. Reasons for Raw Material Price Increases and Industry Changes
The core raw materials for quartz stone, polyester resin and curing agent, are all downstream products of petroleum. The conflict between the United States and Iran has pushed up oil prices, directly driving up the prices of chemical auxiliary materials. At the same time, the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries consume a large amount of high-purity quartz sand. Domestic mines have been subject to environmental protection restrictions and production cuts, while overseas shipping of mineral sands has been hindered. Quartz sand is in short supply, and the cost of high-end gold-plated and Carrara stone plates has increased even more.
The rising costs have accelerated the polarization of the industry: small factories have reduced the addition of quartz sand and filled it with calcium powder, making the plates prone to color bleeding and cracking; reputable brands have adhered to high-purity ratios and raised terminal prices, causing customers in the home decoration and industrial construction sectors to分流 to rock panels and ceramic tiles, and the profits of high-end customized products have significantly shrunk.
3. Industry Response Directions
Enterprises need to expand overseas markets in Southeast Asia and Latin America, reduce reliance on the Middle East market; sign long-term price lock agreements with raw material manufacturers and prepare in advance; increase the proportion of high-value-added and high-end stone plate shipments to offset cost increases; and simultaneously deepen the domestic industrial construction market to balance fluctuations in export orders.