Gypsum industry news

Oman: Oman exported 8.75Mt of gypsum in the first nine months of 2023, a rise of 23% year-on-year from 7.09Mt in the same period in 2022. Data from Oman-based Zawawi Minerals shows that 48% of exports were sent to India.

US: Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) show that the sale of gypsum board products fell by 5% to 1.25Bnm² in the first half of 2023, from 1.31Bnm² in the same period in 2022. The total supply of crude gypsum grew by 9% to 20.4Mt. Notably, supplies of imported and synthetic gypsum increased in the reporting period. However, the USGS noted that on a quarterly basis “...variances are often the result of differences in weather conditions, which can impede or encourage construction activities, coupled with market demands that are often driven by residential and commercial building activity. Use of uncalcined gypsum remained stable, but consumption of calcined gypsum fell by 33% to 7.86Mt, due to reduced utilisation in board products. Spain, Canada and Mexico remained the main sources of import of crude gypsum. However, imports from Türkiye more than doubled to 195,000t.

Azerbaijan: Total national gypsum production was 36,500t during the first half of 2023, according to the State Statistics Committee. This corresponds to a 96% year-on-year rise from first-half 2022 levels.

US: The US gypsum wallboard industry produced 623Mm² of gypsum wallboard during the first quarter of 2023, down by 1% year-on-year and by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter. The industry exported 20.1Mm² of gypsum wallboard in the quarter under review, corresponding to 19% year-on-year growth. Canada received 19Mm² of the product, 94% of total exports for the quarter.

United States Geological Survey (USGS) data show 4% year-on-year growth in US gypsum wallboard imports. The country imported 23Mm² during the year, 20.9Mm² (91%) of it from Mexico and 1.84Mm² (8%) from Canada. Total calcined gypsum consumption was 4.66Mt in the US in the first quarter of 2023, up by 9.9% year-on-year from 4.24Mt in the first quarter of 2022.

US: Total sales of gypsum boards products grew by 2% year-on-year to 1.99Bnm² in the first nine months of 2022, from 1.94Bnm² in the same period in 2021. Sales grew particularly fast in the South Atlantic and East South Central regions, but they fell in the Pacific region. Data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows that the total of uncalcined gypsum used in the reporting period rose by 5% to 15.7Mt and the total of calcined gypsum used increased by 2% to 17.9Mt. The supply of mined crude gypsum fell by 6% to 15.9Mt, imports rose by 1% to 5.11Mt and the supply of synthetic gypsum remained stable at 9.75Mt. Spain became the biggest source of crude gypsum imports so far in 2022 followed by Canada, Mexico and Türkiye.

Germany: Knauf Group says it has made “good time in restorations” following a cyber attack in late June 2022. It said it was continuing to work on reinstating operating procedures and was on its way to achieving this. It added that many of its online systems and email were back to normal functionality and that other processes were still being restored. In separate coverage, Bleeping Computer reports that the Black Basta ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Germany: A cyber attack compromised Knauf's computer systems on 29 June 2022, leading the producer to opt for a complete services shutdown. The group said that its information technology (IT) unit successfully isolated the breach and has launched an investigation.

Knauf thanked customers for their understanding and trust. It said "We are currently working heavily to mitigate the impact to our customers and partners – as well as to plan a safe recovery. However, we apologise for any inconvenience or delays in our delivery processes that may occur."

Japan: Data from the Gypsum Board Industry Association shows that domestic shipments of gypsum wallboard fell by 0.9% year-on-year to 455Mm² in 2021. This is the second consecutive annual decline, according to Nikkei. Local wallboard production is reportedly linked to new housing starts in the country. Recovery in non-residential markets, such as office interiors, has been slow.

US: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that total gypsum board product sales grew by 4% year-on-year to 2.54Bnm² in 2021 from 2.43Bnm² in 2020. 22.4Mt of gypsum was mined in 2021, a 1% rise from 21. Synthetic gypsum supply decreased by 10% to 13Mt from 14.4Mt. Imports declined by 11% to 25,700t from 29,000t but exports grew by 11% to 98,800t from 89,300t.

US: The US Geological Survey (USGS) reports that 17Mt of gypsum was mined in the first three quarters of 2021, a rise of 9% year-on-year from 15.6Mt in the same period in 2020. Imports grew by 14% to 5Mt but synthetic gypsum supply declined by 10% to 9.75Mt. Total gypsum board product sales grew by 8% to 1.94Bnm2 from 1.80Bnm2.