In 2001, Malta produced 30 tons of salt, obtained in the desalination of sea water; 20 hard limestone quarries yielded 2 million tons of crushed aggregates, for use in construction, lime manufacture, and as a concrete additive; 60 soft quarries produced 300,000 tons of building blocks for domestic construction, a top industry; and the country produced small amounts of cement, fertilizer, and plaster. The mining sector accounted for less than 0.5% of GDP, and the broader mineral industry economy depended mainly on trade and the storage of crude oil, refinery products, and other nonfuel mineral commodities for transhipment.
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