If you've been contemplating a remodel and have been overwhelmed with the number of options for tile and stone - it's not just you. The market has exploded, and there are more tile and stone options than ever before for both residential and commercial projects.

To give you a sense of how big the market is: in 2017, the global ceramic tile market accounted for $91.17 billion, and is expected grow more than 9% a year to reach $155.31 billion by 2023, according to Zion Market Research.

The replacement of residential tile accounts for most of the global tile market share in terms of revenue, and is expected to continue to grow. One of the reasons for the continued growth has been the strong construction market. But social media has been a factor as well. The increasing popularity of sites like Houzz, Pinterest, and Instagram for showcasing architecture and interior design has played an important role in motivating people to remodel.

While some tile is made domestically (Fireclay Tile, Heath Ceramics, and Oceanside Glasstile are a few of our favorites based in California), the vast majority of tile is imported. According to the Tile Council of North America, imports in the first quarter of 2018 made up 70% of U.S. tile consumption, up slightly compared to the previous year.

Of the 525 million square feet of tile imported in the U.S in the first quarter, the majority (33.4%) originated from China, followed by Mexico (18.2%), Italy (15.8%), Spain (13.9%), and Brazil (5.5%).

With the growth in imports, we've also seen a growth in tile and stone companies tracking their cargo on the Crux Systems platform. The first reason why many importers start tracking their cargo with a free account is because they can't find information about their shipment from other sources. But they also find that it makes it easier to share information and collaborate with the rest of their team.

To read more about why importers are using Crux Systems to track their cargo, see the top 10 reasons on our blog. And if you're looking for more tile inspiration, see what we're loving on Pinterest and Houzz.