By A committee is to be appointed to look into the possibility of exporting granite in large quantities. It is planned to export a million metric tons of granite, said Cabinet spokesman Bandula Gunawardana.
The rocks dug while constructing the Hambanthota, now piled up near the hospital, are planned to be exported. Sri Lanka’s Geological Survey and Mines Bureau will be supervising the exports if approved.
Upon hearing about the granite export plan, many environmentalists said that it would not be an environmentally wise decision to export granite in large quantities.
Quarrying and exporting large quantities of granite can have significant environmental consequences. It may lead to habitat destruction, soil erosion, and changes in the landscape.
Global Market
In 2021, Sri Lanka exported $3.1M in granite, making it the 37th largest exporter of granite in the world. In the same year, granite was the 254th most exported product in Sri Lanka. The main destinations of granite exports from Sri Lanka are China ($1.91M), India ($821k), Italy ($148k), United Arab Emirates ($80.9k), and Chinese Taipei ($54.5k).
The fastest-growing export markets for granite from Sri Lanka between 2020 and 2021 were China ($195k), the United Arab Emirates ($50.3k), and Italy ($45.9k).
