Marble export at record high of $60.62m

Despite power shortages and the prevailing poor law and order situation in the country, Pakistan has achieved record high exports of marble with an increase of 72.34 per cent during June to July 2010-2011.
According to final statistics provided by All Pakistan Marble Mining Processing Industry and Exporters Association (APMMPIEA) for the financial year 2011, the country has achieved a record export of $60.620 million as compared to $35.178 million during the corresponding period of fiscal year 2010 with an increase of $25.442 million.
The historic jump in the export of marble, according to sources, was due to the huge amount of export to China and Middle Eastern countries. China’s significant market is attracting a large quantity of
raw marble, which the Asian power re-exports after value addition. Though exports to Europe and United States of America have decreased during the last couple of years, demand in the Gulf region and China has increased manifold, sources said.
The rise in exports was also due to functionality of small industries, which, earlier, were not able to export to large countries in Europe having quality standard issues and tough competition. Small exporters now have the opportunity to at least send their goods to the neighbouring country China. “Their products are mostly raw and can now easily enter the markets of Middle East and China,” sources said, adding that though power shortages and law and order situation have a negative impact over marble production, inclusion of small industries in the sector have boosted export to such high levels.
The global demand for Pakistan’s marble, which is considered to be of one of the best qualities in the world, is increasing. Saudi Arabia’s projects for building new cities are the latest in view, implying great potential of purchasing Pakistan’s marble on a large scale. Other Gulf countries have also planned many construction projects which entails a great amount of profit for Pakistan through export of its high-quality marble.
Marble exporters in Karachi have demanded the immediate shifting of their industry to a safer location due to the deteriorating law and order situation at Qasba Colony, where a huge marble industry exists. Industrial activities have been on halt for over 15 days.
Whole industrial units in the terror-stricken part of the city have been closed for the last 15 days and owners as well as workers and labourers are reluctant to work at the high-risk area where days’ long clashes and firing have badly disturbed normal lives. Besides violent activities of criminals and various groups, the increasing number of extortion and other criminal activities in the area has halted industrial activity, All Pakistan Marble Mining Processing Industry and Exporters Association (APMMPIEA) Chairman Sanaullah Khan said.
Talking to Pakistan Today, he said that exporters have no option but to shut their units in the violence-hit area as the government which has failed to maintain peace in the area is also yet to complete the already approved Rs600 million Marble City project.
Presently, he said, 200 containers of marble was lying open on the road, without any monitoring as no one can take the risk to go to the volatile area. Besides, due to space constraints under the mushrooming illegal population in the surroundings, industrial activities were badly affected.
“The existing units of marble have no space for more than two containers of finished marble other than the difficulties for lifting prepared material towards the sea,” he added. Sources in the APMMPIEA claimed that, the industrialists at Qasba Colony were seriously thinking of shifting their industry to Gidani Marble City in Balochistan. Interestingly, the exporters/industrialist were finding Gidani and transportation route via Balochistan safer than the industrial location in Sindh.
At Gidani marble city, sources claimed, there was no security issue with the availability of cheaper and uninterrupted power supply within 24 hours of demand. They said that if the government in Sindh fails to accommodate the Qasba Marble Industry to a new location within the next six months, marble exporters would be shifting their units to the Gidani Marble City.