Beijing, China, February 16--China's exports of building materials and non-metallic minerals reached US$7.118 billion in 2004, an increase of 34.4 per cent year on year, a record high since 1997, according to Asia Pulse.
The news agency said that exports of granite materials topped 4.6942 million tons in 2004, valued at US$1.072 billion, rising 17.2 per cent over the previous year.
Export of wall and flooring materials was reported as reaching 124 million square meters last year, valued at US$435 million, up 68.1 per cent year on year; export of glazed tile, 193 million square meters, valued US$404 million, up 53.8 per cent; plate glass, 134 square meters, valued US$328 million, up 21.2 per cent; sanitary ceramics, 28.25 million pieces, valued at US$326 million, up 49.1 per cent; and glass fiber, 226,800 million tons, valued at US$216 million, up 45.1 per cent.
Export of cement were reported as reached 6.02 million tons, valued at US$202 million, rising 26.6 per cent over the previous year, reversing its downward trend for two successive years.
Hong Kong, Japan and the United States were the biggest destinations of the export of building materials and non-metallic minerals in 2004, but their proportion of the export dropped.
At the same time, China's major export destinations for building materials and non-metallic minerals were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and Russia.
China's import of building materials and non-metallic minerals totaled US$4.831 billion in 2004, an increase of 36.2 per cent year on year. Of this, import of quarry granite was 1.93 million tons, valued at US$366 million, rising 33 per cent year on year, and import and quarry marble was 2.17 million tons, valued at US$349 million, up 21.7 per cent.
China exported 640,000 tons of cement valued at US$20.809 million in December 2004. The export in January-December reached 7,040,000 tons valued at US$230.394 million, up 32.1 per cent and 34.2 per cent respectively year on year, according to the latest statistics from the customs.
