About Us

Istanbul Mineral Exporters’ Association (IMIB) is a professional non-profit association which deals with all export activities in minerals sector. Istanbul Mineral Exporters’ Association was founded in 1976 and has 6.000 members as of 2023. Among the principle areas of business of IMIB are natural stones, borates and concentrates, chromium ore, copper ore, magnesite, ferrochromium, zinc ore and feldspar products.

Turkey, situated on the Alpine Belt, where the world’s richest marble deposits are found, is among the world’s oldest natural stone producers with four thousand years of production history that starts with the Marmara Island. With the Marmara and Aegean Regions at the forefront, almost in all geographical regions from the Thrace to the Eastern Anatolia, more than 400 different colors textures and patterns of natural stones are found that are of a quality capable of gaining appreciation in the world markets. Among these, granite, onyx, limestone, basalt, andesite, slate stone and diabase are types of stones that are leading in production with marble and travertine.

Turkey is also among the most important natural stone producers in the world, with its developing industry and production technology. Turkish natural stone sector has an important place in the world with is richness of variety and reserves, sector experience, abundance of raw materials, ease of shipment in sea transportation, its dynamic sector structure, the new technologies being utilized and its broad color spectrum. Turkey is today one of the most important countries in the natural stone sector with more than a thousand large and small quarries.