On October 8, the 20th China (Nan'an) Shuitou International Stone Expo and 
Stone Design Week (referred to as "Stone Expo") opened in Nan'an City, 
Quanzhou, Fujian Province. As a grand event for international stone, the Expo 
attracted more than 100,000 visitors from countries and regions in the Belt and 
Road, including India, Iran, Turkey, Brazil, Italy, Uzbekistan, Serbia.
 
With the theme of "Green, Creative and Inclusive," this year's Expo has 11 
exhibition areas, with 28,661 booths covering a display area of 911,000 square 
meters. It is not only the most significant international Stone Expo exhibition 
with the largest number of booths and the most significant scale of exhibitions 
in China, but also has been upgraded to an influential "international brand 
economy belt."
 
"I have been attending the exhibition in Nan'an for many years," Ali, the head 
of the milestone, a Turkish stone exhibitor, said with a smile that the Chinese 
market is essential for the milestone and that Nan'an is the key to open the 
door of the Chinese brand market.
 
As one of the largest stone production and trading centers in the world, Nan'an 
currently has more than 1,300 stone enterprises, with an annual output of about 
200 million square meters of stone plates. In 2018, the output value exceeded 
51.2 billion Yuan. A stone output and market share of nearly 60% and 70% in 
China, respectively, and the stone trade is covering more than 130 countries 
and regions.
 
There are not a few "old friends" who travel to Turkey and Nan'an as much as 
Ali. In the eyes of many international exhibitors, Nan'an "Stone Expo" has been 
upgraded from a prime trading platform to a window that shows the brand 
economy. "We set up an office in Nan'an five years ago to formally build a 
brand cooperation alliance," Ali said that milestone nearly 60% of the stone 
entered the Chinese brand market through Nan'an.
 
Cihangir, the head of HP MARBLE, a Turkish stone exhibitor, is not only an "old 
friend" but also a "new friend" of Nan'an. As a trader, he has been to Nan'an 
many times, but as a brand exhibitor, this is his first appearance at the 
"Stone Expo." "I hope that through this exhibition, we can find more Chinese 
agents, and open new markets in China through Nan'an."
 
Satheesh, the vice president of the Indian Stone Association, who organized 
Indian stone enterprises to participate in the "Stone Expo" for the first time, 
said that India, as the world's largest producer of stone raw materials, has 
abundant stone resources and a variety of building stones. Most of the Indian 
stone quality is excellent and can reach the world's higher standards. As an 
important strategic partner of the Indian Stone Association, Nan'an is the most 
extensive stone trading base in the world. It is one of India's major stone 
export destinations and great import sources. "We have many places where we can 
complement each other and cooperate. Therefore, we hope that through this 
exhibition, we can communicate with each other and develop with our colleagues 
in the industry." Satheesh believes that through the "Stone Expo," India can 
better connect with the Chinese market and create a stone economic belt between 
the two countries.
 
Meng Xiaowei, the head of ARCOSTONES, who has traveled between Nan'an and 
Brazil for seven years by exporting Chinese artificial stone and bringing 
Brazilian specific luxury stone plates into China, is "ambitious": "From 
exporting stone to importing luxury stones, one is to see the potential of 
luxury stones in the middle of the Chinese market. Second, we hope that with 
the help of the exhibition, we can improve brand awareness and work with more 
designers to bring the charm of stones to more life applications."
 
Wang Chunjin, Secretary of Nan'an Municipal Committee of CPC, said at the 
opening ceremony that Nan'an stone industry is striding towards the high-end 
links of industrial chain and value chains, such as headquarters economy, 
display operation, index operation, decoration design, stone finance, and 
entering the "new stone generation" of green creativity and intelligent 
manufacturing. "I hope you will take the Stone Expo as a platform to design, 
share creativity, and seek common development. We will make the cake of stone 
market at home and abroad bigger, make the way of exchange and cooperation 
live."

Source: The 20th China (Nan'an) Shuitou International Stone Expo