Tiles And Marbles Industry

By: Hassan Malik

Maheen Khattak
Danyal Obaid
Dawar Khan
 Introduction:
• The production of marbles and tiles is increasing in
Pakistan because of its use in the construction industry
which gained popularity after the earthquake of 2005.
• This has further led Pakistan to be one of the largest and
major exporter of marbles and tiles worldwide.
• Marble stone and tiles are both a very big trade source of
Pakistan and are acknowledged world wide as they are
best in quality, variety and color
• The two major products produced used are marble stripes
and tile slabs for interior and exterior designs.
• More than 30 kinds of marble are found and extracted in
KPK and its adjoining tribal belts, Balochistan as well as
FATA. There are mines in areas of Sindh as well but are not
easily extractable.
 The Marble Industry:
• Marble is gaining popularity due to its increasing usage in the
construction industry and the growing housing industry has
further increased the marketing potential of the marble
industry.
• Marbles are imported mainly by China and other counties
include Italy, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well.
• The average industry growth rate over the last 3 years was 35
percent.
 The Tile Industry:
• The tile industry is also a very big trade source
for Pakistan.
• Pakistan’s tiles manufacturing industry was
facing a precarious situation due to massive
influx of imported tiles on abnormally under-
invoiced values.
 Pakistan's main exporter:
China
• China is our main exporter for both marbles and tiles.
• Their main raw materials of purchase are squared marble, raw tiles,
granite and onyx blocks.
• In 2010, Pakistans export to China in stone, marble and tile was $29.1
million which increased to $63.5 million in 2011.
• In 2016, trade between Pakistan and China stood at US$19.2 billion.
• In August of 2017, the two nations finalized a trade pact, with 18 Chinese
companies signing 38 trade agreements that caused an export of US$325
million worth of goods which include onyx blocks, marbles, unprocessed
tiles and a special type of black and gold marble.
 Pakistan's main exporter:
China
• In the year 2016 alone, 15 million square meter tiles were
exported to China
• The marbles exported also include semi-processed marble
which is then exported from China to other countries after
further value addition and sold at a higher price. This is
causing trouble for the industry to a significant extent.
• “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.
 Regional Contribution
• Balochistan: It has around 60 operational mines and the total
known reserves are 2 million tones. 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 other areas.
Product 2006-2007 2007-2008

Balochistan Marble 461465 337756

Raw tile 1092 291

 Regional Contribution:
• Sindh has 15 operational mines. The estimated
reserves are 1.5 million tons of marble and 1 million
tone of raw tile and granite.
Product 2006-2007 2007-2008

Sindh Marble 3305 1415

Raw tile and 180 629

granite
 Regional Contribution:
• Punjab has 250 small and medium working units that
contribute to this sector
Product 2006-2007 2007-2008

Punjab Marble 10059 42016

Raw tile 370 90

 Regional Contribution:
• The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reserves
worth of 158 million tons.
Product 2006-2007 2007-2008

KPK Marble 428649 196545

Raw tile 2528 1044

 World Exports:
• As of of the year 2009-2010 the world exports are:

World Exports US$62 Billion

Pakistans Exports US$59.79 Million

Pakistans share in world 0.096%

exports
 Major Importers:
Country Estimated Value per year
(millions)
China 3,907.71
Italy 2,323.06
Germany 1,651.5
Turkey 1,284.13
India 1,256.9
Japan 941.46
United States 898.2
 Problems faced by the industry:
• Power shortages
• Unfavourable law and order situation in selected
parts of the country
• Use of outdated quarrying techniques
• Lack of proper infrastructure
• Absence of value addition
• Absence of government cooperation and
coordination
How the industry can be improved:
• Upgrade operational and abandoned quarries and processing
units
• Handling, cutting, storing and transportation must be
significantly improved
• Production volumes must be expanded to match the
availability of exploitable reserves in line with market
demands
• Mine-operational performance could be improved and
financial losses due to wastages minimised by introducing
latest technologies.
How the industry can be improved:
• Develop infrastructure in areas where the stone deposits are
located
• To meet the industrial power needs, investors must be
encouraged to install and maintain their own coal-power
plants
• The Pakistani governemt should introduce business-friendly
laws
• Help establish training centres for the workforce and provide
a safe and healthy work environment
 Steps taken by the government:
• The government is in collaboration with USAID on how to make the
industry globally competitive.
• The Pakistani government has also taken anti-dumping actions
against Chinese goods by placing tariffs on them which has boosted
the local industry of marbles and tiles. It improved local production
to 23%
• https://tribune.com.pk/story/972426/tile-smuggling-local-
ceramic-industry-in-hot-water/
• https://dailytimes.com.pk/133428/local-manufacturers-
call-continuation-regulatory-duty-imports-ceramic-tiles/
• https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/141334-Tile-makers-
seek-30pc-increase-in-import-price
• https://tribune.com.pk/story/845840/driving-local-
industry-tile-producers-complain-over-unfair-price-of-
imports/
 PASDEC:
• Pakistan Stone Development Company (PASDEC) is
playing an integral role in the marble sector by
continuously exploring and starting new projects.
• PASDEC has recently established 29 prototype
projects of marble, 2 warehouses at Gaddani and
Risalpur for storage of raw stone and finished
products of marble.