Gypsum industry news

Bolivia: The Bolivian Port Services Administration (ASP-B) has shipped 2680t of gypsum via Puerto Busch on the Paraguay River in Santa Cruz to Paraguay. The La Razón newspaper has reported that the company now expects to export 11,600t/yr of gypsum along the route. It plans to despatch 3500t throughout July 2025, rising to 8100t in August 2025.

General director Daniel Villarroel noted the suitability of Puerto Busch to facilitate foreign trade, including with markets around the Atlantic Ocean.

Oman: The Omani government has granted a mandate to Minerals Development Oman subsidiary Oman Minerals Trading Company to manage marketing and export of the country’s gypsum and chrome ore. The mandate imposes new rules that require the Omani gypsum trade to prioritise the local market over exports. A new supplier and buyer registration programme will launch in mid-late 2025, in advance of full implementation of the new system in May 2026.

Minerals Development Oman CEO Mattar Salim Al Badi said "We deeply value the Ministry of Energy and Minerals' trust in tasking the Oman Minerals Trading Company with organising and exporting gypsum and chrome ores. This authorisation marks a strategic milestone, poised to boost supply chain efficiency, unify marketing efforts and ensure transparent, fair pricing."

Oman produced 14Mt of gypsum across 15 licensed mines in 2024.

Canada: Minerals company EDM Resources has entered a definitive gypsum offtake agreement with a ‘large, vertically-integrated’ gypsum and gypsum wallboard producer for the supply of US$58m-worth of gypsum from its Scotia mine near Halifax, Nova Scotia. Under the terms of the agreement, the buyer will make an advance payment of US$250,000 for five-year exclusivity on gypsum from the mine. The agreement is based on projected volumes over a 10-year period and covers half of the mine’s 5.1Mt reserves, including 1.53Mt of 93% purity and 3.65Mt of 91% purity gypsum.

EDM Resources President and CEO Mark Haywood said "We are very pleased to secure this third revenue stream opportunity for our Scotia Mine, in addition to other minerals streams."

India: The anticipated India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement remains close to signing, BusinessLine Online News has reported. Nonetheless, ‘one issue’ reportedly still requires ‘ironing out.’ This is the Indian government’s rejection of Oman's Omanisation policy, which is continually increasing the proportion of Omani nationals required to be employed in the country’s industries. The Indian government has asked for a freeze to the requirements, which works to the exclusion of the Indian expat community in Oman, it says.

Bilateral trade between India and Oman was worth US$8.9bn in 2024. Gypsum is among the key Indian imports from Oman.

Pakistan: The government will launch its first ever National Minerals Harmonisation Framework for 2025 on 8 April 2025. The aim of the framework is to streamline and standardise mining regulations across provinces and territories, with a view to attracting investments. It will include tax incentives, fast-tracked licensing and a dispute resolution mechanism. The News International has reported that provincial governments collaborated in drawing up the framework.

Spain: Aminsa says that it will resume mining at its Villanasur Río de Oca gypsum quarry in Castile and León later in 2025. Local press has reported that the move aims to meet increased demand from Ireland-based James Hardie’s nearby Orejo fibre gypsum panel plant, which is undergoing an expansion.

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.

Australia: Gypsum supplier Gypsum Resources Australia has joined 24 other organisations in calling on the state government of New South Wales to reconsider a planned relocation of Sydney Harbour’s last working port from Glebe Island in Sydney Harbour to the city of Newcastle, 150km away. The company said that such a move might have ‘severe’ economic repercussions due to increased freight costs and supply chain delays for the Sydney market.

Gypsum Resources Australia General Manager Alistair Kelsh said “We need clarity and certainty for the future, so that we can continue to support Sydney’s construction needs. Shifting Glebe Island port facilities will not just see building projects cost more for consumers and the government, but lead to thousands of extra truck movements on Sydney’s roads.”

Spain: The province of Almería in Andalusia exported €544m-worth of gypsum and limestone in 2024, 10% of its total exports by value. Ideal Online News has reported that this represents a year-on-year drop in exports of the products of 9%.

Regional delegate for Economy, Finance, EU Funds and Industry, Energy and Mining Guillermo Casquet said “Almería continues to strengthen its international position, registering growth in regular exporting companies and maintaining a strong balance of trade.”

Spain: The Directorate General of Mines and the Geological and Mining Institute are developing a new National Exploration Programme for Critical Raw Materials. Local press has reported that Spain’s gypsum is subject to on-going assessment as part of the programme. The organisations are evaluating sustainable extraction strategies and its potential contributions to the country’s technological and sustainability transition.