Technical and economic overview of the dimension stones production sector in Brazil.

Abstract

Brazil is considered one of the largest producer and exporter of dimension stones on a worldwide scale, acting like an effective global player. Its production amounts to 6.0 million tons a year, comprising 600 commercial varieties derived from 1,500 active quarries. Granites represent around 57% of Brazilian production, while 17% is accounted for marble and travertine stones, plus another 8% of slates, and almost 6% of quartzites in general. It’s estimated that there are 11,500 companies operating in the sector in Brazil, accounting for 120,000 direct employees and with a processing capacity of 50 million square meters of granites and marbles a year. Commercial transactions in the domestic and overseas markets, including business with machinery and inputs, turned over about US$ 2.5 billion in 2003. Domestic consumption of dimension stones in Brazil is estimated to be around 51 million square meters a year, equivalent to 25 kg per capita. The Espírito Santo State, followed by Minas Gerais, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo states, have the main mines, quarries, processing plants and marble shops. About 433 international trading companies comprised the sector’s exporting base in 1999, rising to 877 in 2003. In 1999, it were exported US$ 232.46 million and 983,610 tons of stones, and this rose to US$ 429.34 million and 1.53 million tons in 2003. The total increase in exports in the period was thus 84.7% in value terms and 55.6% in volume terms. The share in value of processed stones rose from 49.8% to 70.1% of the total exported.