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Video length: 4 min
Economy: why is the French stone sector in crisis?
Economy: why is the French stone sector in crisis?
(France 2)
Stone producers and sellers are fewer and fewer in France. Faced with the fall in orders, one in three professionals has gone out of business since 2010.
Gigantic blocks of stone are extracted in a Breton quarry. Granite, the pride of the region, is today bearing the brunt of the sector’s crisis. Month after month, the site operator loses orders and staff. In France, among stone professionals, one in three companies has gone out of business since 2010. Some SMEs that work with stone are trying as best they can to resist, particularly in the face of fierce foreign competition.
Half of the stones purchased in France were produced outside our borders. Most often, they come from China or India, transported in containers. By land, they come from Portugal or Belgium. In Spain in particular, a square meter of granite paving stones sells for 60 euros, compared to more than 76 euros in France, a saving of 22%. To reduce prices, some foreign companies produce on a large scale to manufacture faster, with less expensive labor. More and more French local authorities are using this type of inexpensive stone supplier.
National Union of Ornamental Rock and Construction Industries
City of Dijon
Geographical Indication Pierre de Bourgogne
Non-exhaustive list.
