Markets and Industry

The state of Rajasthan in India is well known for its rich variety of natural stones, and a millennium tradition of craftsmanship culture in marble. It has normally be identified as being the state to go to for green marble, white marble, and a wide range of sandstones and slates.

1.- In early 2019 there are expectations of greater demand for natural stone compared to last year. The orders being placed in the first two months of the year to the natural stone factories all over the world seem to be in line with these expectations.

1. The German stone market logistics remains a wholesaler dominated one, controlled by around 15 companies. These companies have superbly organised logistics and are able to distribute even the smallest of orders of slabs to as many as a dozen stonemasons with a single truck.

1. Four years after the crisis following a sharp decline in energy prices which led to a significant decline in construction activity, the Russian market for natural stone now seems to have stabilised, though at a much lower level of demand.

The Xiamen Stone fair, held annually from 6 to 9 March in the Chinese city, has always been an important indicator of the situation of the natural stone industry, not just in China but also in other countries. Normally held soon after the Chinese New Year, with the winter almost over in the northern hemisphere, it is especially important for the sellers of blocks, both marble and granite. During the 4 days duration of the fair those in mining of stone get a fairly reliable indication of what demand for their materials will be in the months ahead.

Most people in the world of stone and others too normally associate Macael in the province of Almeria with the multinational Cosentino, which has its headquarters and main manufacturing units located there. Often overshadowed, not very well known outside Spain, there also exists another very sophisticated industry in the area of craftsmanship in marble with a great tradition going back centuries.

1. While the long awaited construction boom in India is nowhere on the horizon, there is some improvement in construction activity in some parts of the vast country. Bangalore and its surrounding area, the NCR (National capital region) and some other cities are places where stone people are selling more than before. But there are also thousands of unsold upmarket flats in buildings in major cities like Mumbai and many building companies are in serious financial trouble. A nationwide construction boom is still some years away.

1. In 2018 the Polish economy is expected to grow at reasonably fast pace with several commercial projects projected and expected to be in the construction stage.

2. The purchasing power of the Polish consumer has been increasing year after year ever since it entered the European Union and it now seems to have reached a level where goods which were beyond the reach of most people are now becoming accessible for a large part of the population. Given the optimistic state of the Polish consumer, more spending on home decoration is expected in 2018.

GLOBAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT