MINSK, 10 August (BelTA) – Belarusian building materials are in demand on foreign markets thanks to high quality, BelTA learned from the press service of the Belarus Architecture and Construction Ministry.
“High quality and relatively low prices for Belarusian building materials drive the demand for them abroad. Export accounts for a large share of the total output of building materials. On average, about 35-40% of the total output is bound for export. The share of export across such commodities as glass sheet, ceramic tiles and glass wool reaches 70% to 95%,” the press service said.
In H1 2021, the industry reported the following export to output figures (in physical terms): cement - 38%, crushed stone – 35%, polished sheet glass - 81%, low-emission glass - 81%, cinder blocks and LECA blocks - 57%, calcareous bricks - 48%, ceramic bricks - 31%, mineral wool products - 43%, glass wool - 95%, plaster boards - 33%, ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware - 71%, glass containers – 38%.
“Despite the coronavirus pandemic, bad weather at the start of the year and some restrictions, in H1 2021 domestic manufacturers posted an increase in export across nearly all commodities, both in value and in physical terms,” the ministry informed. For example, according to recent data, in January-June 2021, the export of cement soared by 25% in physical terms. The export of crushed stone increased by 8%. The export of polished sheet glass rose by 6%, low-emission glass by 30%, ceramic bricks by 29%, mineral wool products by 2%, glass wool by 19%, cinder blocks and LECA blocks by 7%, calcareous bricks by 25%. The export of Belarusian ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware expanded by 10%, and the export of glass containers increased by 12%.
This year, companies affiliated with the ministry shipped their products to 31 countries. “In the future, we plan to continue strengthening our positions in the main export market - Russia that accounts for 46.4% of Belarus' export of building materials. On the other hand, in addition to the EAEU market, we are set to explore western markets that have huge potential in the next five years,” the Architecture and Construction Ministry informed.
According to the ministry's specialists, the effort to diversify sales markets has already been yielding results. For example, if until recently Russia accounted for almost 90% of the country's cement export, today Poland and the Baltic states have become the second biggest importers after Russia, with the proportion of supplies to the East and West making up 60% and 40% respectively. “We are also hoping to gain a foothold in the Ukrainian market, but so far it has been difficult to do. Due to strong lobbying of local business in the government of our southern neighbor, the country introduced anti-dumping duties on Russian, Belarusian and Moldovan cement and clinker in 2019, and on Belarusian cinder blocks in 2020,” the press service said.
“In order to reduce sales risks, we are currently working to expand our presence in the markets of EAEU member states and, first and foremost, of Kazakhstan. Currently, together with Kazakhstan, we are working to set up a trading house to double the supply of building materials to Kazakhstan and also developing a feasibility study for the construction of a joint venture to produce ceramic tiles in Kazakhstan,” the ministry said.
