Gypsum industry news

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.

US: National calcined gypsum prices were US$63/t in 2024, up by 5% year-on-year, Statista has reported. The figure more than doubled decade-on-decade from US$27/t in 2014.

New Zealand: Fletcher Building has reported its financial results for the first half of its 2025 financial year, which began on 1 July 2024. The group recorded sales of US$2.05bn, down by 7% year-on-year from US$2.21bn, and negative earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) at a loss of US$14.9m. It previously recorded a positive EBIT of US$44.1m in the corresponding first half of its 2024 financial year.

Sales in its Building Products division, which includes Winstone Wallboards, fell by 5% to US$380m, with EBIT of US$35.5m. Light building products contributed EBIT of US$32.6m. Winstone Wallboards retained its ‘strong’ market position, despite a recessionary environment, and successfully brought its new Tauranga gypsum wallboard plant to targeted performance efficiency.

India: New market research by SkyQuest Technology Group has shown that the value of the global gypsum wallboard market will be US$160bn in 2032, higher than forecasts published by other researchers to date in 2025. The figure corresponds to a composite annual growth rate of 12%, from US$56.6bn in 2024.

US: Eagle Materials raised its sales in the first nine months of 2024 to US$1.79bn – up by under 1% year-on-year. Its profit also grew by under 1%, to US$569m. In the group’s Light Building Materials business, gypsum wallboard sales were US$271m, up by 8% year-on-year.

President and CEO Michael Haack praised the growth in the face of ‘ongoing adverse weather’ conditions in the Midwest and Great Plains markets. He said “While the path to lower interest rates and improved home-buying affordability is less certain today, we remain optimistic about our businesses and our ability to execute on the opportunities in front of us. Steady employment, housing supply that remains chronically short and our cost-structure advantages continue to provide favourable conditions for our gypsum wallboard business.” He added “Our consistent, disciplined operational and strategic approach should position us to continue to perform well through economic cycles and deliver value over the long term.”

World: Research firm HTF Market Intelligence has projected 6.2% compound annual growth in the value of global sales of gypsum wallboard and plaster between 2024 and 2032. This would lead to a 54% rise over the eight-year period, from US$55bn to US$85bn.

US: GMS raised its sales by 3.5% year-on-year to US$1.5bn in the second quarter of the 2025 financial year. The producer noted volumes growth and ‘resilient or improved’ pricing across its product categories, with gypsum wallboard accounting for 39% of total sales. It recorded an impact of US$20m in reduced sales due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, primarily impacting the single-family residential market. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) fell by 11% to US$152m.

GMS said that an ‘attractive capital structure’ helped it to achieve its strategic priorities in the quarter, including expanding its market share for its core products.

Kenya: Gypsum traders in Garissa have called on the government to lift a ban on gypsum mining in the country. The ban also prevents land allocation and demarcation. The Star newspaper has reported that it resulted from a perceived security threat due to violence at local mines, in which 12 people have died.

Mine owner Issa Kuno invited Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Hassan Joho to visit. He said “Personally, I have never experienced or witnessed any insecurity related to gypsum mining activities."

Natural gypsum mined in Garissa County previously sold for US$38.60/t.

Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has placed imports of gypsum wallboard from Thailand under a provisional anti-dumping duty. The Philippines Daily Enquirer newspaper has reported that the duty takes the form of a cash bond and will remain in force until March 2025.

The DTI said there is ‘reasonable cause’ to believe that imported gypsum wallboard from Thailand is being dumped, meaning that it caused ‘material injury’ to domestic producers.

The local gypsum wallboard industry’s share of the domestic market reportedly dropped from 66% in 2022 to 58% in 2023.

Canada: CGC is holding a series of meetings between 5 November and 3 December 2024 in which to discuss the possible impacts of its upcoming Wheatland wallboard manufacturing plant in Alberta with the local community. The Canadian Press News has reported that 100 jobs will be created at the plant. Hiring will commence in early 2025, prior to the plant’s commissioning later in 2024.

Plant manager Duane Van Douren said "We are focused on making sure that the communities around us are well aware of who CGC is, and providing information about our plant and the build that is happening on our site right now, which started back in early spring 2024 and is progressing very quickly.”

CGC reportedly told the Toronto Sun newspaper that current anti-dumping measures have reduced the availability of gypsum wallboard in Canada by 65Mm² cumulatively since 2016. As a result, extant gypsum wallboard stocks are sufficient only to build 220,000 homes.