Prices of Chinese stone are rising as a result of the removal of an export tax rebate that took effect in December, says Hu Youyi, the President of China\'s CCPIT Fujian Province Building Materials Sub-council.

The Province is a major stone export area. According to the Chinese, 617.5million tons of stone valued at US$1.3billion were exported from the Province from January to October last year. Almost all of that will lose its subsidies, although finished work such as tombstones and carvings will continue to attract the rebate.

Hu Youyi says producers are seeing increases in costs of 30%, that will inevitably result in a rise in prices of exports.