APICER – Portuguese Association of Ceramics and Glassware Industries – provides an update on the Portuguese tile manufacturing industry, covering the nation’s domestic and export markets as well as its culture and ambitions.
The Portuguese ceramic floor and wall tile industry consists of around 23 companies employing 3,850 workers and are predominantly located in the Aveiro Region. In 2022, Portuguese production totalled around 50 million sqm and reached a turnover of €470 million (£395.75m).
Portuguese production of ceramic floor and wall tiles is mainly destined for foreign markets. The domestic market represents only about one third of our Portuguese sales. In 2022, Portugal exported ceramic tiles to 128 markets.
The main external markets for our floor and wall tiles exports are: France, United States of America, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands, Italy, Angola and Finland. France is our main external market, accounting for 34% of the value of our exports in 2022.
Portugal is a top five exporter of ceramic floor and wall tiles in the European Union and in the top ten worldwide, in a ranking led by Italy, China, Spain, India, Turkey, Brazil, Poland and Germany.
Portuguese ceramics is characterised by tradition, but also by the permanent commitment to innovation in processes, products, greater proximity to its customers and the adoption of technological solutions that provide greater sustainability and environmental performance to the sector.
With the launch of the PORTUGAL CERAMICS brand, we intend to increase the awareness of Portuguese ceramics in international markets and contribute to improving the performance that companies have in the various countries and markets to which they export, in which they are recognised for quality, innovation and design.
The Portuguese ceramics industry will also continue to make efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. This is the sector’s great challenge over the next few years and there are already many companies that have developed their own decarbonisation plan, trying to provide the possible and necessary answers to today’s calls for sustainability and innovation.
