Diatomite: Trading
Branded filter aids sold on permeability, not tonnage
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 or public benchmark. A few vertically integrated companies mine, process and sell branded filter aids directly to brewers, winemakers, food processors and water utilities. Contracts specify permeability, particle size and purity, not just tonnage. Diatomite is light and bulky, so freight decides how far each grade can compete. Low-value grades sell locally, while calcined filter aids ship worldwide. Trade publications report indicative price ranges.
Where it is bought (buyers)
- Brewers, wineries and spirits makers worldwide
- Water utilities, edible-oil and sugar refiners, chemical and pharma plants
- Brazil (10% of world import value in 2024), Austria (10%), Italy (8%), Germany (8%) and Canada (6%) (UN Comtrade)
Where it is sold (sellers)
- US (35% of world export value in 2024), Germany (15%), China (12%) and France (11%) (UN Comtrade)
- Danish moler exporters
- US imports came mainly from Canada (55%), Mexico (17%) and Germany (11%) in 2021-24 (USGS)
Exchanges and benchmarks
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None | No exchange-traded contract | Sales by grade and specification |
Contract types
- Annual supply contracts by permeability grade with food-contact certification
- Distributor sales of bagged product to smaller breweries and wineries
Top trading houses
- Few; producers sell direct or through filtration-equipment distributors
How prices are discovered
- USGS unit values by use
- Fastmarkets Industrial Minerals diatomite prices (paid)