Jordanian stone and marble factories may soon start exporting their products to the Canadian market.
Claudio Corra, the president of C&S Group,
which comprises four companies that provide products and services to
the construction industry in western Canada, expected marble and stone
imports from Jordan to start within six months.
Corra was among a trade mission of Canadian stone and tile distributors who concluded a visit to the Kingdom last week.
The businessmen toured several plants and were
acquainted with quality standards, technical and export capacity and
the ability of manufacturers to meet Canadian market needs.
"We visited different locations that produce
stones and tiles and we were impressed by the quality of products and
the advanced technologies and equipment some factories use," he said.
During the four-day tour, organised by the
USAID-funded Tatweer Project, Canadian buyers checked samples of
different products which will be exported to architects and designers
in Canada.
Stressing the capability of Jordanian-made stones
and marbles to compete efficiently with international producers, Corra
indicated that Jordanian stone has limited colours that would appeal to
the Canadian market.
"Manufacturers still need to improve production varieties and qualities," he said.
Ernie Luchetta, the director of Marble Trend
Company in Toronto, said the aim of the visit was to explore the
strengths and weaknesses of Jordanian marble.
"Canada is one of the most demanding markets in
the world for stone and marble and there are some factories in Jordan
that are up to the standards in terms of quality," he added, noting
that some manufacturing companies still use unsophisticated
technologies.
Besides the significance of reasonable prices,
Canadian buyers stress the importance of packaging and finishing, he
elaborated, emphasising that Jordanians should use international
expertise to improve production.
Nazzal Armouti, the president of the Jordan Stone
and Tile Exporters and Producers Association (Jostone) assured the
Canadian team that local factories are capable of meeting needs of
international markets in terms of quality and design.
"The Canadian delegation showed interest in
certain types such as floor and wall tiles and we expect large orders
from the Canadian market soon," he noted.
Armouti said exports through Jostone total around
$40 million per year, with the majority of products exported to the
Gulf region, the US, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
He mentioned that the association, in cooperation
with the Business Development Centre (BDC) and the USAID-funded Tatweer
Project, is working on a project to double Jordan's stone and marble
exports within four years.
Tatweer and the BDC have launched the
International Market Expansion Initiative in 2008 to link Jordanian
small and medium enterprises with international buyers and to maximise
the benefits of free trade agreements between Jordan and other
countries in order to penetrate international markets.
The Tatweer Project has increased exports to the
US by $18.4 million and to other markets by $72 million in addition to
increasing domestic sales by 151 per cent since its establishment in
2005.
