Exporting to China
Egyptian marble and granite blocks for China
The largest buyer of raw stone on earth, and the reason Egyptian beige leaves the quarry in block form at all. Blocks to Xiamen and the Fujian trade, and to the Guangdong and Shandong processors.
We reply within one working day · Saturday – Thursday, 08:00 – 18:00 Cairo time · WhatsApp +20 106 926 2572
Family business since 1991 · Factory in Alexandria · 50 % in advance · 30 % on approval after production · 20 % before shipping · Reply within one working day
Shipped by the container: Granite setts and cobbles by the container · Granite kerbs, channels and edging · Cut-to-size marble and granite · Granite floor tiles, steps and skirting · Egyptian limestone: Sinai Pearl, Galala and Sunny Menia · how much fits in a 20 ft · Download catalogue (PDF)
01 — Getting it there
Route and terms
- Routing
- Alexandria or Sokhna → Xiamen, Nansha, Shuidong, Rizhao or Qingdao
- Sea leg
- 22 – 32 days port to port
- Incoterms
- FOB Alexandria or Sokhna, or CIF the Chinese port. Blocks travel in-container on hardwood dunnage with steel cradles, or on flat rack for oversize.
- Minimum order
- 1 × 20 ft container
Transit times are indicative port-to-port sailing times and exclude customs and inland haulage. Confirm at booking — they move with the season and the service.
We reply within one working day · Saturday – Thursday, 08:00 – 18:00 Cairo time · WhatsApp +20 106 926 2572
02 — Paperwork
What has to travel with it
A certificate of origin travels with every shipment, and timber packaging is heat treated and marked to ISPM 15. From 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028 China applies zero tariffs to imports from Egypt, one of 20 African countries covered by the State Council Customs Tariff Commission announcement of 28 April 2026. The preference needs a certificate of origin issued by an authorised Egyptian body, which we arrange with the shipping documents. Import VAT still applies. Confirm the current position and any CIQ inspection requirement with your customs broker before we load.
03 — What sells here
Stone that suits China
China buys Egyptian stone as block and saws it at home — the Fujian and Guangdong plants exist to do exactly that. The pull is on the beiges Egypt has and China does not: Galala and the Menia family in gangsaw and multiwire sizes, by the cubic metre on net squared dimensions. Aswan granite moves alongside it for the darker and red work, and the onyx and semi-precious lines go to interior projects that will pay for figure. Buyers judge a block on soundness before colour, so photographs of all faces and net measurements go out before anyone commits. Chinese buyers know these stones by their own trade names: 埃及米黄 for Galala, 新意大利米黄 for Sunny, 西奈珍珠 for Sinai Pearl and 埃及红 for Aswan Red.
Galala Classic
Egypt's flagship beige — warm, even and quarried in volume.
Galala Mountain360° →
Galala Extra
The selected, lightest and most uniform grade of Galala.
Galala Mountain360° →
Sunny Menia
Golden honey ground with fine horizontal movement.
Minya Governorate360° →
Beige Menia
Straightforward, economical beige for volume tiling.
Minya Governorate360° →
Aswan Red
The historic red granite of the pharaohs, still quarried today.
Aswan360° →
Ice White Onyx
The palest onyx — near-white, and highly translucent.
Partner supply — imported block360° →
04 — Questions
Buying from Egypt, into China
Do you sell blocks by the cubic metre?
Yes — that is the main line into China. Blocks are squared, measured net, and photographed on every face before you commit.
Which port should we load to?
Xiamen if you are buying through the Fujian trade, Nansha or Shuidong for the Guangdong processors, Rizhao or Qingdao for Shandong. We load at Alexandria or Sokhna and quote either way.
Is there import duty on Egyptian stone in China?
From 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028, imports from Egypt qualify for China's zero-tariff treatment, provided the shipment carries a certificate of origin from an authorised Egyptian body. Import VAT still applies. We arrange the certificate; confirm the details with your customs broker.
What do Chinese buyers call these stones?
埃及米黄 is Galala, 新意大利米黄 is Sunny, 西奈珍珠 is Sinai Pearl and 埃及红 is Aswan Red. Ask under either name and we match it to the stone and the block.
Can we visit the factory?
Yes, and most serious buyers do. We are in Alexandria, twenty minutes from the port.
Do you work with Chinese companies already in Egypt?
Yes. If you are operating or considering production inside Egypt rather than importing blocks, see our partnership page — we have industrial land and covered space in Alexandria and are looking to expand with a partner.
Quoting for China?
Send the stone, the finish, the thickness, the quantity and the destination port. You get FOB and CIF prices and a lead time, usually within one working day.
We reply within one working day · Saturday – Thursday, 08:00 – 18:00 Cairo time · WhatsApp +20 106 926 2572
Family business since 1991 · Factory in Alexandria · 50 % in advance · 30 % on approval after production · 20 % before shipping · Reply within one working day