# Abrasives: Trading

Why buyers watch Chinese export offers so closely

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/trading/

What this tab covers How and where it is bought and sold: who buys and sells, exchanges and benchmarks, contract types, the big trading houses and how prices are discovered.

There is no exchange. Grain is sold by producers to wheel and sandpaper makers under contracts that specify chemistry, colour (brown, white, pink) and grit size. Industrial-minerals price services track Chinese export offers, which buyers watch closely. Trade policy matters as much as cost. US section 301 duties add 7.5% to some Chinese fused alumina grain and 25% to Chinese steel shot. Extra tariffs also apply to Chinese silicon carbide grain.

#### Where it is bought (buyers)

- Abrasive product makers (Saint-Gobain, 3M, CUMI, Grindwell Norton) buy crude and graded grain
- Refractory makers buy fused alumina and silicon carbide grains
- Foundries, shipyards and steel fabricators buy steel shot and grit

#### Where it is sold (sellers)

- Chinese fusion and Acheson plants export crude grain (96% of US crude fused alumina imports in 2025)
- Austria, Germany, Brazil and Canada export ground and refined fused alumina
- Norway, Brazil and Canada export silicon carbide grain; Canada is the leading supplier of US metallic abrasive imports (47%, 2021-24)

#### Exchanges and benchmarks

| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **None** | No futures or exchange contract | All trade is bilateral |

#### Contract types

- Quarterly or annual supply contracts by grade (chemistry and grit size)
- Spot container cargoes of crude grain FOB China
- Domestic delivered pricing for steel shot

#### Top trading houses

- No major trading houses; producers and specialist distributors handle trade

#### How prices are discovered

- Bilateral negotiation
- US Census import unit values reported by USGS
- Chinese domestic quotes and trade press reports

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/production/index.md)
- [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/stocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/cycles/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/abrasives/links/index.md)