10.04.2012
The Finnish balance of trade is being fixed by one business field that reported exports of nearly five times compared to the imports.
The exporting value of natural stones rose to EUR 82 million during 2011. This translates to a 17 per cent growth from last year. The value of the exports of natural stones was over five times as high as the imports and an all-time record was achieved in the granite export figures.
Pekka Lauhiainen, the Managing Director of the Stone Industry Union, tells that the export value of granite blocks grew from the previous year by 41 per cent and it was worth EUR 46 million. The bloc export amount was 412,000 tons which means that there was a 33 per cent growth when compared to last year.
The exports on the end products declined a little, leaving the end product exports value at EUR 36 million which is 4 per cent less than the previous year.
The largest exporting and importing country is China. Other significant countries that the blocs are exported to are Italy and Poland. The central countries that get the end products exported to them are Germany, Sweden, France and Belgium. (Source: www.kauppalehti.fi, 19.03.2012)