Garnet: Trading
Graded mesh sizes sold under private agreements
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.Garnet is sold by producers and distributors in graded mesh sizes, in bags or bulk bags. Buyers are blasting contractors, shipyards and waterjet shops, usually under supply agreements. Prices are private. Australian producers sell globally through distributor networks, and Indian beach-sand garnet competes on price. The USGS calls the market very competitive. Quality matters: hardness, low dust and the absence of free silica attract buyers moving away from silica sand blasting.
Where it is bought (buyers)
- Blasting contractors, shipyards, refineries and pipeline operators
- Waterjet shops and OEM distributors
- Water-treatment plant builders
- The US consumed about 270,000 t in 2025 with 71% net import reliance (USGS)
Where it is sold (sellers)
- Australia (GMA Garnet) and China export worldwide
- US imports came from South Africa (59%), Australia (21%), China (9%) and India (8%) in 2021-24 (USGS)
Exchanges and benchmarks
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None | No exchange-traded contract | Sold by grade in bags or bulk bags through distributors |
Contract types
- Distributor agreements by region
- Annual supply contracts with large blasting and waterjet users
- Take-back recycling contracts
Top trading houses
- Few; producers sell through their own or third-party abrasive distributors
How prices are discovered
- USGS import unit values and domestic concentrate price
- Distributor price lists