At the foothills of Mount Pangaion, centuries-old quarries mill out marble as they have since ancient times. But today, Greece's storied marble industry finds itself caught in the middle of a 21st-century trade showdown: proposed U.S. tariffs on European goods.
Greece ships over $2.68 billion in goods to the U.S. each year, with marble among its most prized exports. Regions like Drama and Thassos rely on the stone to fuel local economies—until now.
"The market's shrinking. We can't absorb more costs," says Ioulia Chaida, deputy CEO of marble giant Iktinos. With some tariffs set as high as 50 percent on the table, order books are wobbling and bills keep rising.
For transport company owner Spyros Papamarinos, each day means seven marble hauls from quarry to port. "That's how I support my family," he explains. But after recent client cancellations and rushed orders, he fears, "If it slows down, we're in trouble."
Volakas quarry manager Alexandros Zorpidis worries too. "I've got a 9-year-old," he says. "We built this market over decades. If marble stops—what then?"
Complicating matters, softer demand from the Chinese mainland amid the U.S.-China trade war has already pushed more Greek exporters westward. U.S. importers like Nikos Koleidis have cut Greek marble purchases by 75 percent to stay competitive. "If tariffs go higher, we'll have to raise prices—and we can't match China or Turkey," he warns.
In towns built on marble, a slowdown ripples far beyond the quarries. Gas stations, cafés and electricians all depend on steady work. "It's not just me," Papamarinos notes. "If the quarry stops, everyone feels it."
Alkiviadis Kalampokis, president of the Panhellenic Exporters Association, issues a stark warning: "If this market collapses under tariffs, it won't come back easily."
For now, the saws and cranes keep humming. But as global trade lines harden, the future of Greece's marble legacy—and the communities it sustains—hangs in the balance.
Reference(s):
Losing their marbles – how trade war threatens ancient Greek industry
cgtn.com
