Turkish cherry red marble exports surge 30% amid growing Chinese demand

By Kaan Ulu and Emir Yildirim

ISTANBUL (AA) - Turkish cherry red marble produced in the town of Alacakaya in the eastern province of Elazig became one of the nation’s leading natural stone exports, with exports rising 30% year-on-year during the January-June period due to surging Chinese demand.

The cherry red marble, quarried in Alacakaya, boasts a distinctive color and has become a major brand in the global natural stone market.

Salih Tufan, export manager at Alacakaya Marble and Mining Operations, told Anadolu that the firm has an annual production capacity of up to 20,000 metric tons of blocks and primarily ships marble blocks and chippings to China.

“China is one of the most important markets for our cherry red marble due to its unique color, striking vein patterns and the exclusive look it adds to luxury projects,” he said. “This stone stands out and lends a strong identity and prestige to where it’s used.”

Tufan said Chinese clients buy the cherry red marble in raw block form, but the firm also occasionally ships crushed stone to specialized customers.

He noted that Alacakaya Marble streamlined its production and shipping this year to provide faster services to its global clientele, while expecting strong Chinese demand to continue throughout the second half of the year.

The firm also saw the highest interest in cherry red marble from the United Arab Emirates, the US, India, Russia and Saudi Arabia, while the popularity of the stone grew in the European market.

“Cherry red marble boasts a timeless natural beauty rather than being a design element that will go out of style, and by bringing this unique value to global markets, we’re representing Türkiye’s natural stone wealth on the international stage,” he said.

He added that export prices for the cherry red marble vary based on color consistency, pattern characteristics, quality grade, specific dimensions, overall order volume and delivery terms.

Kazım Kaan Ulu