Italian exports of stone and marble products rose 7.4% to €835.4 million in the first half of 2012, according to a survey carried out by Italian stone industry trade fair
Exports went up by 23% to the US, from €101 million in 2011 to €124.7 million in 2012. Exports to Russia rose by 3.8%, and those to Germany from €72.3 million to €78.5 million - an 8.6% increase.
Further figures reveal that exports of Italian stone and marble products increased by 26.2% to the Middle East over the first half of the year compared to the previous year. The biggest single country export rise was to Saudi Arabia, which saw its imported Italian stone and marble spend rise from €29.8 million in H1 2011 to €53.6 million in H1 2012 - a 55.6% year-on-year increase.
North Africa received €29.5 million worth of exported goods - a 7.2% increase; and exports to China were up 37.4%.
Even though exports of Italian stone sector machinery and technology registered a 1.9% drop in the first half of 2012 to €465.8 million, Brazil reached €42 million exports in the first half of 2012 - a 56.4% increase. Meanwhile, Italian stone sector machinery and technology exports to Saudi Arabia went up by 16.9% to €30.8 million. Elsewhere, exports went up by 83.5% to Russia to €30.2 million; by a huge 94% to Morocco to €7.3 million; and grew by 57.6% to the US to €26.5 million.
