The Share of Processed Products in Natural Stone Exports from the Aegean Rises to 80 Percent

Aegean natural stone exporters increased their exports from 2022 million dollars to 13 million dollars with an increase of 357 percent in the first half of 403, while processed products made up 320 million dollars of this export. The share of processed products in natural stone exports from the Aegean Region increased from 75 percent to 80 percent.

Aegean miners, which brought Turkey's underground resources to the economy, brought 2022 million dollars of foreign currency to Turkey in the January-June period of 616. Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association had an export performance of 2021 million dollars in the first half of 521. EMİB managed to increase its exports by 2022 percent in the 6-month period of 18.

Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association President İbrahim Alimoğlu stated that the natural stone industry took the lion's share of 2022 million dollars of mineral exports in the first half of 616, with 403 million dollars, and that EMİB is the leader of Turkey in natural stone exports.

191 million dollars of marble, 97 million dollars of travertine were exported

Sharing that EMİB's processed natural stone exports in the January-June period of 2021 were 267 million dollars, Alimoğlu said that in the same period of 2022, our processed product exports reached 20 million dollars with an increase of 403 percent. While processed products had a share of 2021 percent in our natural stone exports in the first half of 75, it increased to 2022 percent in the same period of 80. While our processed marble exports were 191 million dollars, our processed travertine exports reached 97 million dollars. While paving and paving stones, made of natural stones, performed 12,5 million dollars, our export of processed granite was 11,7 million dollars. I congratulate our exporters who contributed to this export and wish them continued success.”

Alimoğlu stated that feldspar exports took the second place with an amount of 616 million dollars among the 114 million dollars export income brought by the Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association to Turkey; “Our quartz exports amounted to 26 million dollars, and our natural and artificial abrasive rubber exports amounted to 22 million dollars. We exported 9 million dollars perlite. We obtained 7 million dollars of foreign exchange from aluminum ore and 3,9 million dollars from kaolin exports.”

US at the top of mineral exports

While the Aegean Mineral Exporters' Association exported to 2022 countries in the January-June period of 143, the United States of America was at the top with an increase of 20 percent and a demand of 147 million dollars. Aegean miners exported 2021 million dollars to the USA in the same period of 122.

Spain, which ranked third in the list in 2021 with an export of 53 million dollars, rose to the second place in 2022 with a demand for Turkish mines of 67,7 million dollars. There was a 27 percent increase in the export of mineral products from the Aegean Region to Spain.

Achieving a 53 percent increase in Italy, Aegean miners moved their exports of 34,5 million dollars to 53 million dollars and brought Italy to the third place. China, which is the second most exported country with 2021 million dollars of mineral exports in 68,5, demanded 2022 million dollars in 47,6. China entered the list at number four this year. Germany managed to become the fifth country with 37,8 million dollars.

Virtual trade delegations bore fruit

Aegean Mine Exporters Association, which organizes virtual trade delegations to Australia, Vietnam and Middle East countries during the pandemic period, has started to reap the fruits of virtual trade delegations.

In the first half of 2022, natural stone exports of EMIB increased by 20 percent in general, while natural stone exports to countries with virtual trade delegations increased by 32 percent from $26,7 million to $35,6 million.

While Australia ranked first with a demand of 17,3 million dollars, natural stone exports to the United Arab Emirates increased from 4,3 million dollars to 117 million dollars with an increase of 9,3 percent.