Feature: Bright outlook awaits Türkiye-China marble trade amid deep-rooted trust

ISTANBUL, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A bright outlook for the Türkiye-China marble trade in the coming year mirrors a deep trust between businesses of the two countries and mutual understanding in cultures, a prominent Turkish insider has said.

Imported marble has long been in high demand in China, including the types produced in Türkiye, said Rustem Cetinkaya, chairman of the Mining Sector Council for the Turkish Exporters Assembly.

Running an automated stone production plant and several quarries in Türkiye, Cetinkaya's company exports blocks and slabs of marble finishes as well as cut-to-size products to countries across the globe, including China which he described as "the giant natural stone buyer" in the world.

Speaking to Xinhua in his showroom in Istanbul, the 25-year veteran in the industry said his company saw a solid increase in the exports of quality marble to China between 2013 and 2018, adding the trend is also evident in other Turkish marble exporters.

"Our exporters have started to open offices in China one by one. Gradually, as the two sides began to know each other, many Chinese friends have also come to invest in marble quarries in Türkiye," said Cetinkaya.

As more and more Chinese investors come to Türkiye, especially the marble-rich Mediterranean province of Burdur, the two peoples have acquainted themselves with each other's culture, he noted.

"Daily encounters and exchanges enable the culture to soak in, and friendship emerges from this region where we have close ties with Chinese people. For example, there are more restaurants serving Chinese food in Burdur than those in Istanbul," Cetinkaya said.

"Day by day, deepened understanding helps us improve the way we trade," he added.

The Chinese market of decorative marble has become a barometer for a slate of Turkish exporters to trim their production plans. Some of them now bet on beige-color marbles to replace the grey ones as the new fashion in China and prepare for the possible change.

For the past three to four years, because of the shrinking demand for beige stone in China, marble quarries in Türkiye had long been operating with low capacities, but "if the demand for beige becomes trendy again, we can react quickly and meet the required order," Cetinkaya said.

Turkish stone business insiders are also looking forward to business opportunities at the 23rd edition of China Xiamen International Stone Fair scheduled for June 2023, a massive trade fair held regularly in the southeast Chinese port city that gathers international players along the value chain.

In 2021, Turkish exports of rough marble increased by 23.8 percent to 1.3 billion U.S. dollars from those in 2020, while exports of processed marble increased by 18 percent to 800 million dollars, state-run Anadolu agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association reported that Turkish mining exports reached 5.9 billion dollars during the first 11 months of 2022, with those to China hitting 1.2 billion dollars.