Jordanian stone and marble factories may soon start exporting their products to the Canadian market.



Claudio Corra, the president of C&S Group, which comprises four companies that provide products and services to the construction industry in western Canada, expected marble and stone imports from Jordan to start within six months.



Corra was among a trade mission of Canadian stone and tile distributors who concluded a visit to the Kingdom last week.



The businessmen toured several plants and were acquainted with quality standards, technical and export capacity and the ability of manufacturers to meet Canadian market needs.



"We visited different locations that produce stones and tiles and we were impressed by the quality of products and the advanced technologies and equipment some factories use," he said.



During the four-day tour, organised by the USAID-funded Tatweer Project, Canadian buyers checked samples of different products which will be exported to architects and designers in Canada.



Stressing the capability of Jordanian-made stones and marbles to compete efficiently with international producers, Corra indicated that Jordanian stone has limited colours that would appeal to the Canadian market.



"Manufacturers still need to improve production varieties and qualities," he said.



Ernie Luchetta, the director of Marble Trend Company in Toronto, said the aim of the visit was to explore the strengths and weaknesses of Jordanian marble.



"Canada is one of the most demanding markets in the world for stone and marble and there are some factories in Jordan that are up to the standards in terms of quality," he added, noting that some manufacturing companies still use unsophisticated technologies.



Besides the significance of reasonable prices, Canadian buyers stress the importance of packaging and finishing, he elaborated, emphasising that Jordanians should use international expertise to improve production.



Nazzal Armouti, the president of the Jordan Stone and Tile Exporters and Producers Association (Jostone) assured the Canadian team that local factories are capable of meeting needs of international markets in terms of quality and design.



"The Canadian delegation showed interest in certain types such as floor and wall tiles and we expect large orders from the Canadian market soon," he noted.



Armouti said exports through Jostone total around $40 million per year, with the majority of products exported to the Gulf region, the US, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.



He mentioned that the association, in cooperation with the Business Development Centre (BDC) and the USAID-funded Tatweer Project, is working on a project to double Jordan's stone and marble exports within four years.



Tatweer and the BDC have launched the International Market Expansion Initiative in 2008 to link Jordanian small and medium enterprises with international buyers and to maximise the benefits of free trade agreements between Jordan and other countries in order to penetrate international markets.



The Tatweer Project has increased exports to the US by $18.4 million and to other markets by $72 million in addition to increasing domestic sales by 151 per cent since its establishment in 2005.