Turkish marble sector cheering upwith the increase in exportation has focused on “branding”
Holding the 33 percent of the global natural stone reserve, Turkey has achieved a significant increase in marble and natural stone exportation with the elimination of the negative scene in the sector markets. Started to increase for the first time in exportation since 2014, the sector almost cheered up with the increase of the export from 1.8 billion dollars in 2016 to 2 billion dollars in 2017. With this leap ahead, directing their faces to increase the recognition of Turkish marble globally, the sector authorities have focused on branding. In line with this keeping a close eye on the fairs and promotions in the sector, the marble industrialists attended to the MIPIM, held every year with the attendance of the real estate sector and architecture companies in Cannes, France, promoted the brand. Turkish marble sector also attends to the Marble that is one of the biggest three marble fairs of the world, with a focus on brand.
Aiming a marble and natural stone exportation of 2.5 billion dollars this year with the acceleration achieved in export, Turkish marble sector also continues the branding studies without slowing down. Defining two important study areas for itself in order to expand the market, the sector wants to make a global brand of the Turkish marble in the first phase and to increase its production in the second. In fact, Turkey has the 10 percent of the natural stone market globally in the hand. However, considering the product quality and variety of the sector, the mentioned rate is not what Turkey deserves and worth. At this point, the specialists, who defend the need of branding globally with the emphasize on “Marble of Turkey”, aim to provide the integration between the natural stone of Turkey and the design as soon as possible.
There is a need of marble lobby in short term
Detecting that the quality of marble of Turkey is known to the sector, however there is a need of increasing the brand perception of architecture offices and final users globally, the sector representatives emphasize that Turkey is the richest country in marble. At this point, representatives defend that the main gap in the sector is the ‘failure in creating a marble lobby’ and point out that the Italians that are at the position of a rival country have a significant brand perception. On the other hand, the specialists say that in USA almost in all houses the stone of Turkey is used, yet Turkey could not become a brand and that could only be possible with a marble lobby.
Recently, both to reach to the desired growth acceleration and to create the ‘Marble of Turkey’ perception globally, the interest to the fairs and organizations in the sector increased significantly. Marble industrialists from Turkey, who performed branding studies in the two globally big sector fairs in March, participated to the Xiamen Stone Fair that was held between 6-9 March and is one of the most comprehensive and prominent fairs in terms of international marble and natural stone, and to MIPIM between 3-16 March. Turkey attended to Xiamen Stone Fair, hosted by the biggest trade partner of Turkey in the Fareast, China, with 140 companies. Therefore, Turkey caught the attention as being the country with the highest participation level among the international participants.
Sector representatives underlining that China is in fact not among the rivals of Turkey with its production, explain the situation with figures. According to the data of Turkish Marble Foundation: China has a share of around 36 percent in the total mine exportation of Turkey. Therefore, natural stone demand of China that rapidly grows in the construction sector recently also increases rapidly. It is claimed in the sector that the domestic marble that is exported in raw to China, is processed there and offered to the global market as a competitor to the companies from Turkey. However, this is not the situation according to the formal data. Because in China, 2 billion square meters of new buildings are constructed every year. This reveals the fact that around 95 percent of the share in the marble consumption belongs to the construction. So, the block marble imported by China from Turkey is not still sufficient for even its own consumption.
More than 400 types
As a country holding the 33 percent of the global reserve with more than 400 types and patterns, marble and natural stone sector of Turkey focusing on getting a more advanced position in the global scale, has almost jumped forward in the region with the China’s termination of investment suspension policy that lasted for four years. Marble sector of Turkey that is significant with its products especially in the markets of China and India, covers the 54 percent of block marble-travertine import of China and 30 percent of India. Specialists pointing out the 49 percent market share of Italians in India, foresee that Turkey will increase its export to India in medium term. And the data of Aegean Mine Exporters’ Union (EMIB) verifies this forecast. According to EMIB, an increase in export by 25 percent in the export markets of Turkey, primarily to China and India, is aimed this year. It is estimated that the export in the natural stone sector this year would reach to 2.5 billion dollars.
Leaders of the sector inform that there are more than 100 Turkish marble companies dependent or independent to Turkey and emphasize the importance of presence in the new markets, as in the current ones. Within this framework, specialists say that Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Indonesia and Malaysia are among the markets Turkey can grow and state that Turkey is still foreign to Latin America. Therefore, the authorities point out the need of establishing ‘Turkish trade centers’ in Latin America and they deem it compulsory to enter to those markets for a constant growth in exportation. Expressing that studies could be carried out also in Australia, the authorities say that companies from Turkey have already started to know Australian market.
Prices should be increased to avoid value loss
Specialists draw the attention to the fact that the perception on the marble is also affected by the price policy of Turkey beside the current and new markets. Seeking for a price stability in the global markets with the acceleration of marble export especially within the last years, the sector has faced for long years living with the value loss as the products were sold for low prices in USA and Middle east markets. In fact, considering that USA is the second biggest market and even the first in the sales of processed marble, the current profile becomes more visible. Therefore, in order to prevent the value loss in the local marble, the prices should be increased as soon as possible in the primary markets. Representatives of the sector point out that the main task is on the producer and exporter companies.
On the other hand, expressing the existence of four fruitful fairs in Turkey related with marble, specialists state that these fairs have an important contribution to the sector. Pointing out that the Marble fair held in Izmir in particular is the third biggest fair globally, the sector representatives agree that the fact that the fair will be organized in a bigger are and with the attendance of 34 countries would be a positive impact on the export.