Abrasives: Criticality

Not officially critical, but a genuine industrial chokepoint

What this tab covers How exposed economies are to a supply disruption: the EU, US and India listings, the concentration score, and a quantified exposure for the US, EU, India, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. Where the EU scored it, a chart of supply risk against economic importance, with import reliance, recycling input and substitutes.

Exposure by region

Region	Exposure	Share of world output	Share of world imports	Share of world exports	Net trade (US$)	On own critical list	Position
US	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Over 95% import reliant for fused alumina (68% from China, 2021-24) and 74% for silicon carbide (88% from China), but a net exporter of metallic abrasives (USGS 2026).
EU	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Austria (90 kt), Germany (80 kt) and France (40 kt) hold fused alumina capacity and Germany and France silicon carbide; abrasives are not on the EU 2023 critical list.
India	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Has 40,000 t of fused alumina and 5,000 t of silicon carbide capacity (USGS), with CUMI and Grindwell Norton as the main makers.
China	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Holds 800,000 t of fused alumina capacity (about 62% of world) and 450,000 t of silicon carbide (45%) and is the main exporter of crude grain (USGS).
Japan	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Has 15,000 t of fused alumina and 60,000 t of silicon carbide capacity (USGS).
Latin America	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	Brazil has 50,000 t fused alumina and 40,000 t silicon carbide capacity, Mexico 45,000 t and Venezuela 30,000 t of silicon carbide (USGS).
Middle East	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	No country listed separately by USGS; any capacity sits in the other-countries total.
Australia	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Has 50,000 t of fused alumina capacity and no silicon carbide (USGS).

Exposure rating: High when the region is a net importer whose import share is at least three times its share of world output (or, for farm goods, it produces under 70% of what it consumes); Medium for other net importers (or 70-95% self-sufficiency), raised to High when world supply is highly concentrated in another country; Low for net exporters or self-sufficient regions. Net importer status uses tonnage where reported, otherwise value. Output: n/a. Trade: UN Comtrade (EU = sum of member states, including intra-EU trade). Critical lists: US 2025, EU 2024/1252, India 2023, China 2016 strategic minerals, Japan METI, Australia 2024.

Manufactured abrasives are not on the US 2025 or India 2023 critical mineral lists. (Silicon carbide as a semiconductor material is a separate, higher-grade product.) Even so, they are an industrial chokepoint. China dominates capacity, and combined US and Canadian crude fused alumina output was only about 20,000 t in 2025. Substitution softens the risk. Emery, garnet, staurolite and metallic abrasives can replace fused alumina and silicon carbide in many jobs. Superabrasives such as synthetic diamond also compete at the top end.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No US net import reliance, 2025 95% share of apparent consumption

Substitutes

Emery, garnet, metallic abrasives or staurolite for fused aluminium oxide and silicon carbide