THE exports of marble and onyx have picked up in recent years, reaching $52 million during July-December this fiscal year.

Exporters say orders received and being placed for raw and finished marble and onyx products indicate that sales would exceed $100 million by the close of FY13.

The sector had potential to grow at a higher rate had the power supply been regular and law and order situation in the industrial cities normal, says an official of All Pakistan Marble Mining Processing Industry and Exporters Association (APMMPIEA) Mian Abdul Sami.

“There is an enormous demand for marble and marble products in international markets because of the quality stone in the country and expertise in making value-added products,” he added. With a favourable domestic environment, exports could rise hundred per cent, he said.

The marble industry is said to have suffered considerable losses as it could not meet foreign demands in time due to strikes and extortions from bhatta mafia in Karachi, Hub in Balochistan and terrorism in the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.

The industry missed the opportunity to capitalise on the booming construction in Saudi Arabia, where the total value of contracts awarded in the construction sector had hit $66 billion in 2011, a six per cent increase over the previous year.

“Pakistani exporters could not fetch sizeable orders of marble and onyx products for the sector owing to unfavourable domestic conditions, ” says an onyx trader in the Old Golimar area of Karachi.

Saudi Arabia mostly imports marble slabs and tiles from Pakistan. Semi-finished marble and onyx products find their way into Russia, the Middle East, the United States and Malaysia. China is the largest importer of Pakistani marble and granite in the raw form. The blocks of marbles imported by China are processed, value-added and exported to various countries in the world at higher prices.“China is the biggest buyer of our marble but its purchase is limited to raw material (squared marble, granite and onyx blocks). As there is very scarce facility for value addition in the country, Pakistan is losing substantial foreign exchange through raw marble export,” says a marble trader and exporter in Karachi.

According to APMMPIEA, in fiscal 2011, export earnings amounted to $60.620 million as compared to $35.178 million in fiscal 2010. Marble and granite are exported to almost 52 countries.

Around 80 types of marble are available in Balochistan alone and due to its proximity to Karachi and Gwadar ports, the province has an edge over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The stones being produced in Balochistan are of fine quality and of the standard of stones found in Italy. Exports can easily can go up to over $200 million per annum, if not more, if some incentives are provided to marble sector in Balochistan, particularly in the field of value-addition.

The export of marble and semi-processed material to Afghanistan is worth $6-7 million. These are not formally exported, but traders from Afghanistan travel to Pakistan, purchase the products and take them back to their country. This business remains unaccounted in export statistics.

Investors from Italy and European countries besides the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Korea and China have shown interest in local marbles and setting joint ventures with Pakistani counterparts but have been discouraged by rampant terrorism.

With one of the largest marble and granite reserves of around 350 million tonnes, Pakistan has an edge over its neighbours India and China. “With 64 varieties of marbles and granite stones, Pakistan has the expertise to excel in marble export which both of its neighbours lack”, says an exporter. Marbles and onyx in white, black, green, pink, grey, brown, yellow and other exotic colours are abundantly found in Mohmand Agency, Chitral, Buner, Swat, Parachinar, Gilgit, Hunza, Swabi, Bajour, Mardan, Waziristan, Azad Kashmir, Lasbela, Chagai and Khuzdar in Balochistan.

Dark green onyx with layers of light green, green with streaks of white and yellow and white with layers of light grey are found in Chaghai district in Balochistan. These stones are favourite in world markets and are used for facing, flooring and as decorative items. The black marble, mostly obtained from Swat, Mansehra and Abbotabad , is also a widely sought item.

Earlier, a major portion of the marble was wasted in the process of recovery by blasting the mines in the absence of proper mining and procurement facilities. However, in 2006 the Pakistan Stone Development Company was set up which imported state-of-the-art machinery for the extraction of square blocks of stones minimising the losses to 45 per cent from the colossal 85 per cent earlier, says an official of the company.

“To promote the export of onyx, the government needs to pursue the Middle East countries to waive off or reduce import duty on onyx products in their respective countries”, says an exporter.