Last year confirmed the rebound in Italy’s exports of marbles, granites and other natural stones after a slight downturn in 2023 from the record levels of the previous two years. According to the official sector statistics processed by the CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE Studies Center, from January to November 2024 the worth of total exports of stone materials extracted and/or processed in Italy – which account for about 70% of sector revenue – had in fact already surpassed 2 billion euros (2,005.4 to be precise), an increase of 5.6% from the first eleven months of 2023.
Showing the biggest increase were exports of raw materials, for 422.3 million (+10.2% from January to November of the previous year), but there was also growth of 4.4% in foreign sales of finished and semi-finished stone products, which reached 1.583.2 million. It should be emphasized that also confirmed in the first 11 months was the upward trend in the average price for exported Italian stone materials, which surpassed the historic threshold of 1,000 euros per ton (to 1,006.6) and even reached the record price of 1,592.1 euros/ton for finished products.
Analyzing the destination markets for Italian stone products it was seen that driving exports of raw were above all purchases by China, again the undisputed leader among buyers of blocks from Italy with imports worth 210 million euros (+25.8% from the first 11 months of 2023) and a share of nearly 50%, while sales slowed to India (-16%, second with 42.6 million).
As for finished and semi-finished products – those with the highest added value and that account for some 80% of total sector exports – the market ranking was still led by the United States, whose purchases, thanks to a 12.5% increase in the 11-month period, reached 489.4 million. Germany remained in second place, with 118.7 in imports (a downturn of just 1.5% and a definite recoup from the heavy drop in the first part of the year), followed by France with 108.9 million (+10.9%). Switzerland was in fourth place (with 94.7 million, -1.9%) and in fifth Saudi Arabia (with 77.9 million), which, thanks to an upturn in imports of 41.4%, surpassed the United Arab Emirates (with 61.2 million, +11.2%) and the United Kingdom (with 60.1 million, +7.4%). Exports were stable to Austria (with 40.9 million, +0.8%) while two important markets outside the EU continued to grow: Australia (with 37.6 million, up 13.7%) and Canada (with 27.8 million, +9.2%).
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