Turkish marble exports to Saudi Arabia fall sharply

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The unofficial boycott of Saudi Arabia on Turkish products negatively affects marble exports.

On October 3, 2020, the head of the Saudi Arabian Chamber of Commerce, Ajlan Al-Ajlan, called on all Saudis to stop negotiating with Turkish companies, reiterating his call for a boycott of anything Turkish.

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Given that Saudi Arabia is the second main destination of Turkish finished marble products, the blow from the informal boycott is severe and negatively affects the course of Turkey’s total marble exports.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) statistics, between October and December 2020, Turkish marble exports to Saudi Arabia fell by more than 90% in value and quantity. In the Chart that follows we see the monthly trend of value of Turkish exports to Saudi Arabia in 2020.

In the Graph we observe the big fluctuations during the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns. October was the month with the highest exports, however, the call of the head of the Council of Chambers of Commerce of Saudi Arabia, seems to have received a great response leading to a sharp decline. In the first quarter of 2021, the decline in exports to Saudi Arabia continues at a high pace. Between the quarter October – December 2020 and January – March 2021 there is a decrease in value and quantity that reaches 100%.

 

*The statistics are derived from the analysis of the Tariff Class Codes – Harmonized System (HS) Codes:

251511000000: Marble and travertine, crude or roughly trimmed.

251512000000: Marble and travertine, merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a square or rectangular shape.

680221000011: Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excl. With a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, setts, curbstones and flagstones): marble, cut or sawn.

680221000012: Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excl. With a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, setts, curbstones and flagstones): travertine, cut or sawn.

680221000013: Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excl. With a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802,10, setts, curbstones and flagstones): alabaster, cut or sawn.

680221000019: Marble, travertine and alabaster articles thereof, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface (excl. With a completely or partly planed, sand-dressed, coarsely or finely ground or polished surface, tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, setts, curbstones and flagstones): other.

680291000011: Marble, travertine and alabaster, in any form (excl. Tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, imitation jewelery, clocks, lamps and lighting fittings and parts thereof, buttons, original sculptures and statuary, setts, curbstones and flagstones) : decorative articles of marble, cut into shape or trimmed based on sculptor or plastic art.

680291000019: Marble, travertine and alabaster, in any form (excl. Tiles, cubes and similar articles of subheading 6802.10, imitation jewelery, clocks, lamps and lighting fittings and parts thereof, buttons, original sculptures and statuary, setts, curbstones and flagstones) : other.