From the organisers of the Natural Stone Show

 

 

 
Market Intelligence

Italians see a revival in marble sales
, By Eric Bignell

Italian exports of stone continued to increase in the first half of 2013, but it was marble that led the growth while sales of granite continued to fall.

The figures are from the Research Department of the Internazionale Marmi e Macchine Carrara presented during the Marmomacc stone exhibition in Verona in September. 

As Europe’s largest stone trader, what happens in Italy reflects what is happening in the stone industry across Europe and the World.

Italy exported more than 2million tonnes of stone with a value of 923,493,510 Euros, showing growth compared with the same period the previous year in both quantity (+2%) and value (+7.2%). 

While Italy is still suffering from a massive debt burden, the stone industry has revealed strong exports thanks to its ability to place quality products on the market with high added value.

What is mainly driving the industry’s growth is exports of marble, both raw materials and finished products. In the first half of 2013, Italy exported 699,000tonnes of marble blocks and slabs with a value of 158.7million Euros, up +6.45% on the same period a year earlier in quantity and 10.64% in value. 

That included more than 451,000tonnes of finished products worth 423.4 million Euros, up 4,5% in volume 10.4% in value.

Exports of granite blocks and slabs, which have been falling for some years, amounted to 74,000tonnes, (down 5% on last year) worth 20million Euros. Exports of processed granite stood at 282,000tonnes, up 4% in value at 269.4million Euros. 

In comparison, granite exports in 2006 were 189,000 tonnes of slabs and blocks worth 49million Euros and 943,754tonnes of finished granite products valued at 811million Euros.

growth of 21.4% in quantity and 27.46% in value. That represented a 5% price increase, making the average price of Italian stone exports 1,529 Euros per tonne.

Italy’s stone sales to the Far East were up 6.6% in value and China increased the amount of marble (almost all block) it bought from Italy by 30% in both volume and value terms.

In Europe, sales fell in the EU (down 13.2%), largely due to a fall in sales to Germany, but increased outside the EU (up 12%). The volume of stone gong to the Middle East fell (down 1.5%) but the prices for it increased, putting the overall value of the exports there up 6%.