A report issued by the Export Council for Building Materials and Metal Industries revealed that Egyptian exports of building materials decreased during the first quarter of the current year 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, with rates that reached 35 per cent.

The data showed exports of iron declined 35 per cent, copper 25 per cent, marble and granite 31 per cent, ceramics 22 per cent, cement 18 per cent, quarry and mineral materials 14 per cent, glass seven per cent, aluminum six per cent, and sanitary ware three per cent, while pipe exports increased by 13 per cent, tanks and bridges 108 per cent, and insulation materials two per cent.

An official source in the Quarry and Granite Division of the Federation of Egyptian Industries warned against the displacement of 100,000 workers in quarries and the manufacture of marble and granite, as a result of the decline in domestic demand and the suspension of export operations, due to the outbreak of coronavirus. He explained that the export operations represent 50 per cent of the sales movement, as the average income of each company is estimated at about $100,000 per month of the quantities exported.