Stone exports grow by almost 11% in the 1st half of the year and promote a surplus in the sector’s trade balance

After breaking a historic record in exports in 2021, the national ornamental stone sector recorded, in the first half of this year, total revenues of 634 million dollars, an increase of 10.92% with international shipments, compared to the same period of the year past. The data were disclosed this week by the Brazilian Center for Ornamental Stones Exporters (Centrorochas), which forecasts closing the year with revenues in excess of US$1.4 billion.

Last year, in the first year of the partnership signed between Centrorochas and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) for the execution of It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone, the sector closed the year with 1.34 billion dollars in revenue . It’s Natural is a project to encourage exports in the segment that currently supports around 148 companies.

From January to June this year, the stone production arrangement imported US$12.68 million, promoting a surplus of US$622 million in the segment’s trade balance.

“The heating up of world civil construction, the development of unprecedented actions for the stone sector through the sectorial agreement and also the investment that companies in the segment have made in their industrial park may have contributed to this evolution. But it is important to remember that this number could have been higher, had it not been for the war between Russia and Ukraine”, explained the president of Centrorochas, Tales Machado, remembering that Russia was one of the target countries to be worked on by the sectorial project. “Like several sectors of the world economy, we had to adapt”, he added.

Another important point presented in the first half of this year was the evolution of the average price of Brazilian materials, which registered an increase of 15.04% in relation to the same period in 2021. The productive arrangement of stones, like several other sectors, has been suffering from readjustments constants in maritime freight due to logistical problems as a result of the pandemic, and the devaluation of the dollar; despite this, the sector has managed to adapt quickly to these scenarios.

Consumer market

The United States remains the main destination for Brazilian products, representing approximately 57% of all national exports. In a more detailed analysis, excluding raw materials, Americans become even more important representing almost 74% of total finished materials exported. Following the same reasoning, the Mexican market follows, with a 5% share, and the United Kingdom, with around 3%.

Observing the behavior of exported raw materials, China remains solid as the largest importer, consuming approximately 60% of stone blocks sold by Brazil. Next comes Italy, with 29%.

exporting states

Espírito Santo (80.54%), Minas Gerais (11.45%) and Ceará (3.42%) were the states that boosted national exports in the first half of this year.

About It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone

It’s Natural – Brazilian Natural Stone is an export incentive program developed by the Brazilian Center for Ornamental Stones Exporters (Centrorochas) in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). The program aims to stimulate and increase exports of Brazilian ornamental stones, through a set of strategic internationalization actions with promotion actions, strengthening the image and development of the sector in the world market.

About Centrorochas

The Brazilian Center for Dimension Stone Exporters is present in all national demands to increase the competitiveness of the dimension stone sector. The entity acts directly by providing support in the procedures related to the presence of Brazilian entrepreneurs abroad, combined with commercial and operational activities related to the development and evolution of Brazilian companies.

About ApexBrasil

ApexBrasil acts to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investment to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. To achieve these goals, the Agency carries out diversified trade promotion actions aimed at promoting exports and valuing Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business roundtables, support for the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian production structure, among other business platforms that also aim to strengthen the Brazil brand.