Gypsum industry news

US: Alternative wallboard developer Xeriant has scheduled a limited production run of its recycled plastic and fibre-based Nexboard with a contract producer. Construction & Demolition Recycling News has reported that the production run will take place in August 2025.

Xeriant CEO Keith Duffy said "We are very pleased with the performance of Nexboard's fire resistance and other properties after incorporating our proprietary nanotechnology. We continue to receive strong interest from global construction leaders who are actively seeking non-toxic, fire- and water-resistant alternatives to gypsum wallboard, wood-based and cementitious panels. The latest formulation's success validates years of research and development investment, positioning Xeriant to capture market share in both traditional construction and emerging smart building applications, where performance and sustainability are paramount."

Kazakhstan: The government of Kazakhstan will impose a three-month ban on imports of gypsum wallboard from 22 July 2025.

Interfax Central Asia News has reported that Kazakhstan produced 35.5Mm² of gypsum wallboard in 2024, corresponding to 77% utilisation of its 46Mm²/yr capacity. Domestic demand was 38.8Mm².

US: HydroBlok, which produces the extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam-core HydroBlok One wallboard, has raised US$6m in an extended Series A funding round. Pier 88 Investment Partners and Andina Capital Partners led the round. MarketLine News has reported that HydroBlok will use the capital infusion to accelerate its production roll-out in the US.

HydroBlok One is lightweight, waterproof and mould-resistant that halves build times and reduces costs by 30% compared with conventional gypsum wallboard, according to the developer.

CEO and co-founder Colin House said "I've never witnessed a response quite like this. Seeing builders light up when they grasp the time and cost savings of HydroBlok One is incredibly rewarding."

Albania: UK-based Eco Buildings Group says that it has produced 16,200m² of glass fibre-reinforced gypsum panels for delivery under a €4m deal with a modular construction company. Alliance News has reported that the customer is still completing foundation work for the relevant project.

CEO Sanjay Bowry said "Our ability to produce 16,200m² of modular walls under single-shift operations not only demonstrates our excellent operational effectiveness but also sets the stage for even greater production capacity."

Eco Buildings Group has secured sales contracts in Albania and Kosovo worth up to €114m. It is reportedly seeking to diversifying its customer base to include construction firms working on larger, non-modular projects.

Philippines: Knauf Philippines has asked the Tariff Commission to recommend a new import duty on gypsum wallboard from Thailand, the Manila Times newspaper has reported. Thai wallboard was subject to a provisional anti-dumping duty from November 2024 – March 2025, following a 30% drop in local production from 2022 levels. Meanwhile in Thailand, producers’ capacity utilisation ended 2024 at 57%. As a result, it the industry is attempting to increase its efficiency, maximise its production and possibly target export markets like the Philippines, according to Knauf Philippines.

Director Mark Dewey Sergio said "We have reason to believe that the threat will continue."

US: Gypsum producers mined 22Mt of natural gypsum in 2024, according to the figures published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Production rose by 2% year-on-year from 21.5Mt in 2023. The USGS listed California, Iowa and Kansas as the top producers among 15 gypsum-mining states in the US in 2024. 45 different mines contributed to the total. Major domestic applications for the gypsum included use as raw materials in the country’s 3.16Bnm²/yr-capacity gypsum wallboard industry. The sector sold an estimated 2.6Bnm² of wallboard throughout the year, up by 4% year-on-year.

The US exported 45,000t of natural gypsum during 2024, up by 2% from 44,000t in 2024. Its imports declined year-on-year, meanwhile, by 4%, from 7.77Mt to 7.4Mt – 17% of a total domestic consumption of 44Mt.

Azerbaijan: National production of construction gypsum was 103,000t in 2024, Azer-Press News has reported that this corresponds to year-on-year growth of 21%.

Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan’s production of construction gypsum increased by 98% year-on-year to 85,000t in 2023, data from the State Statistics Committee has shown. BNI IntelliNews has reported year-on-year growth of 32% in the overall value of building materials produced in Azerbaijan in 2023, to US$694m.

US: National consumption of gypsum wallboard dropped by 4.3% year-on-year to 2.51Mm² in 2023, according to United States Geological Survey (USGS) data. Demand for natural gypsum was 45Mt, up by 3% from 43.7Mt in 2022. The market imported 8.1Mt of gypsum throughout the year, up by 18% year-on-year.

Domestic production of crude gypsum in the US dropped by 1.3% year-on-year in 2023, to 22Mt. Exports grew by 15% to 45,000t.

US: The US Geological Survey reported domestic natural gypsum production volumes of 16.3Mt during the first nine months of 2023, down by 0.3% year-on-year from 16.4Mt during the corresponding part of 2022. Meanwhile, calcined gypsum production volumes grew by 1.2%, to 14Mt from 13.8Mt. Throughout the period, the US imported 5.91Mt of crude gypsum, up by 35% year-on-year. Spain supplied 2.4Mt (41%) of imports, followed by Mexico with 1.7Mt (29 %) and Canada with 1.56Mt (26%).