How to buy natural stone slabs and blocks from abroad

More and more fabricators, contractors and architects buy natural stone without travelling to the warehouse. It works perfectly well with the right method. Here is how.

1. Choosing a slab without seeing it in person

• Ask for photos and video of the specific slab, not of the material in general. Every natural stone slab is unique.
• Ask for the block and slab numbers. If you need several slabs or a bookmatch, they must be consecutive from the same block.
• Ask for actual dimensions (length × height × thickness) and the finish.
• Photos in natural light and, if possible, with the slab wet or polished, show the true colour.
• Once chosen, reserve the slabs so nobody else takes them while you prepare the order.

2. Packing

Slabs travel in wooden A-frames or crates (bundles), standing upright and well secured, with spacers between slabs. Blocks travel unpacked, chocked inside the container. Export timber must be treated to the international ISPM 15 standard and carry its stamp.

3. Shipping: the container

Stone is very heavy, so the usual choice is a 20-foot container: it fills up by weight before it fills up by volume. The maximum load depends on the shipping line and on road weight limits in the destination country, so confirm it with your freight forwarder before finalising the order.

4. Incoterms: who pays for what

• EXW (Ex Works): you collect from our warehouse and handle everything else.
• FCA or FOB (port of origin): we hand the goods to the carrier or load them on board at the Spanish port; from there, risk and cost are yours.
• CIF / CFR (destination port): we pay the freight to your port (and, with CIF, the insurance). You handle customs and final delivery.

5. Usual documents

• Commercial invoice and packing list.
• Bill of lading.
• Certificate of origin, if your country requires it for preferential duties.
• Fumigation or timber-treatment certificate, where applicable.

6. Indicative HS codes

• 2515.11: marble and travertine, crude or roughly trimmed (quarry blocks).
• 2515.12: marble and travertine, merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into rectangular blocks or slabs.
• Heading 6802: worked stone, for example polished slabs or cut-to-size pieces.

These are indicative. The exact classification depends on the product and the country; always confirm it with your customs broker or freight forwarder.

7. When the goods arrive

Inspect the container when you open it, photograph the load before unloading and note any damage on the delivery document. That way you can claim on the insurance if needed.

We work with clients worldwide

We ship slabs and blocks from Valencia, Spain, to any country, including Asia. If you are in the trade, tell us the stones, quantities and destination on our trade page.