According to the latest statistics from Centrorochas, Brazilian exports in 2022 decreased, in value, by about 4% compared to 2021, reaching almost 1,284 million dollars. Foreign sales, in quantities, were negative since they decreased, in 2022, by 12.75% compared to 2021.
The 2022 results of Brazilian exports are affected by the negative trend in the last quarter of the year and the trend in December, where exports collapsed in value by almost 40% and by 48% in quantity.
Interestingly, 81.8% of all Brazilian exports of ornamental stones come from the State of Espirito Santo, and in 2022 the average price per ton of total Brazilian natural stone exports (US $ 612.42 per ton) increased by about 10% compared to the same period last year.
The Brazilian export of natural stones remains essentially concentrated in 3 countries. In fact, if we analyze the exports of 2022, we note that Brazilian exports went to the USA for 58% (-10% compared to 2021) followed by China for about 13% (+5.89% compared to 2021) and from Italy with 8% (+19.65% compared to 2021).
The decrease in sales in 2022 to the USA (the main market for Brazilian slabs and finished products) could be due to a slowdown in imports from American distributors in the last quarter of the year when warehouses were still full of imported products with high costs of transport paid during the second and third quarters of the year.
It is hoped that this is essentially the reason for the slowdown and not that the production capacity in Brazil has substantially exceeded the capacity of the US market to absorb all the Brazilian slabs and finished products.
Source: Comexstat, Centrorochas and Market Trends Analysis Office of the CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE Association
