Lower price per tonne for India’s marble blocks and slabs imports in 2017

India is the second largest importer of marble blocks and slabs in the world. In 2017, there was a significant reduction in price per tonne, something that resulted in increasing the value and quantity of imports.

Stonenews.eu, after collecting and studying the statistic reports of the International Trade Centre and the National Statistical Services, is presenting the growth of India’s Marble Blocks and Slabs imports between 2016 and 2017 as well as the shares in value and quantity in 2017.

From 2001 to 2015, India had shown a rapid rise in marble blocks and slabs imports. It is worth saying that between 2011 and 2015, the total value of marble blocks and slabs imports increased by +1650%, the quantity by +1349% and the price per tonne by +20,5%. In 2016, imports decreased, however, in 2017, imports came back to growth and India achieved a record high in quantity of imports. More specifically, between 2016 and 2017, the value of marble blocks and slabs imports was raised by +18.56% and the quantity by +68.2%, while the price per tonne declined by -29.51%.

Statistics show that India raised significantly the quantity of imports from the main suppliers of marble blocks and slabs, and particularly from China, assuring a lower price per tonne.

The following table presents the top ten suppliers of India’s Marble Blocks and Slabs imports, according to the shares in value of imports in 2017.

As shown at the table, in 2017, compared to 2016, India imported Marble Blocks and Slabs in lower price per tonne almost from every main supplier. Oman was the only exception with higher price per tonne by +2.51%.

In 2017, India imported Blocks & Slabs from 43 countries. 97.5% of value of imports was under HS Code 251512*, 2.36% under code 251511* and the rest 0.14% under code 251520*.

*The statistic results are derived from the following HS Codes (Harmonized System Codes):

251511: Marble and travertine, crude or roughly trimmed

251512: Marble and travertine, merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a square or rectangular shape

251520: Ecaussine and other calcareous monumental or building stone of an apparent specific gravity of >= 2,5, and alabaster, whether or not roughly trimmed or merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a square or rectangular shape (excluding in the form of granules, chippings or powder, and marble and travertine)