In response to the many recent changes in the Silica textile market, ADL Insulflex, Inc. is pleased to offer the follow FAQ Tutorial to help educate our friends and partners.
Why is Silica suddenly so difficult to get? One of the world’s largest sources of Silica textiles called ACIT Silica in China suddenly ceased production and closed it’s doors. There are a limited number of Silica manufacturers in the world, and the closure caused a shortage of supply to meet global demand.
Why did ACIT close? In response to US anti -dumping legislation, an import tax of approximately 160% is now being applied to most Silica textile shipments from China to the USA. We speculate that the import tax made ACIT uncompetitive in the US market and was the cause of ACIT’s closure. This 160% import tax applies to Chinese silica fabrics of 92% or greater purity into the USA. Since it takes a Silica content of 96% or more to make a high quality silica, any remaining silica that is entering the US from other Chinese manufactures may be of lower quality suspect quality.
I have always bought my Silica fabric from the USA. Why am I affected? A lot of Silica sold in the USA came from ACIT China or other Chinese sources which are now subject to the 160% import tax.
Why is it hard to find USA made Siltemp Silica such as 84ch and 188ch? These products were made by Ametek Haveg many years ago and were a popular brand. After suffering production interruptions due to floods, Ametek Haveg eventually ceased production and imported Chinese silica to be sold under the Siltemp 84ch and 188ch tradenames. In the end, Ametek closed its Haveg division and is no longer involved in Silica fabrics.
Is ADL Insulflex, Inc. a manufacturer of Silica textiles? No, we are a secondary processor, stockist, and fabricator of cut shapes and custom high temperature protection covers. We also add specialty coatings/pressure sensitive adhesives and other value added services. We can buy bulk Silica from a variety of sources, but the vast majority of our Silica is made in Eastern Europe.
Does ADL Insulflex face supply shortages? Yes, but we have taken proactive measures to ensure we meet demand. We are purchasing Silica 6-12 months in advance for our planned demand in 2017/2018. We have increased warehouse space and hold very large volumes to allow us to meet project demands when other’s can’t. We also have secondary sources when needed that meet our stringent specifications. We are currently meeting all our quoted shipdates, even on large project orders.
Does the 160% import duty apply to Silica shipments made into Canada? No it does not, and, we do not purchase any Silica products from Chinese manufacturers.
