Marble industry worldwide is feeling the hit of the coronavirus pandemic. Italy is the largest European marble exporter. Recently, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has refused to bow to business pressure, and extended the country’s economically crippling lockdown until May 3. How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected the country’s marble exports during the first month of 2020?
Stonenews.eu, after collecting, studying and editing the statistical data provided by Eurostat, is presenting Italy’s marble products exports growth in January 2020 in comparison with December 2019 and January 2019, both for marble blocks and slabs and finished marble products in value and quantity of exports.
Italy’s marble blocks and slabs export value in January increased by 15.46% in comparison with December export value, although there was a decrease of 9.73% in quantity of exports, which means that marble blocks and slabs export unit value was raised. Things went bad for finished marble products exports, as Italy recorded a general and great decline both in value and quantity of exports in January 2020 compared to the previous year. As for last year’s January comparison, there was an overall decrease both in marble blocks and slabs and finished marble products in value as well as in quantity of exports this January.
*Due to consistent data flow, statistics may alter during the year