The
consequences of the unhindered outflow of marble blocks are manifold. The
immediate impact is the “unavailability of raw materials” for the local market,
according to Shehra. Even if the raw material is available, Pakistani buyers
have to compete with Chinese buyers for their own natural resources, which most
cannot afford given the rise in prices due to Chinese demand.
Local
buyers are left with “second and third-rate categories of marble,” says
Saifullah Naqvi, Vice Chairman of All Karachi Marble Industries Association.
Tariq
explains: “We get blocks that are potato-shaped that need more work to cut.
About 80 percent or so is just useless. After cutting it from six sides to turn
it into a square block, we are only left with a small amount that’s usable.”
“China is
the biggest importer of marble from Pakistan, however, the marble exported to
China also includes semi-processed marble, which is then re-exported from China
after value addition, which is hurting Pakistan’s marble industry to a
significant extent,” cites a research report compiled by the State Bank of
Pakistan titled Marble and Marble By-products.
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