# Kyanite: Trading

Long contracts between a few miners and furnace-lining makers

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/kyanite/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. Kyanite, andalusite and mullite are sold under annual or multi-year contracts between a few miners and refractory makers such as the large European refractory groups. Specifications cover alumina content, iron oxide, grain size and firing behaviour. Industrial-minerals price services publish indicative ranges by grade and origin. In January 2025 an Austrian company completed the purchase of a US refractory and minerals producer. That deal suggests vertical integration, with refractory makers buying their raw material supply.

#### Where it is bought (buyers)

- Refractory makers in Europe, the US, Japan, China and India buy concentrate and calcined grains
- India imported 10,419 t of andalusite (79% South Africa, 19% France) and 1,668 t of kyanite (78% US) in 2021-22 (IBM)
- US imports came from South Africa 54%, Peru 24%, France 18% in 2021-24 (USGS)

#### Where it is sold (sellers)

- Kyanite Mining Corp exports Virginia kyanite (US exports 37,000 t in 2025, USGS)
- Imerys sells French and South African andalusite
- Peru (Andalucita S.A.) and China sell andalusite; China exported under 7,000 t in 2025 (USGS)
- India exported 3,120 t of sillimanite in 2021-22, 83% to China (IBM)

#### Exchanges and benchmarks

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

#### Contract types

- Annual or multi-year supply contracts with refractory makers
- Specification by Al2O3 and Fe2O3 content and grain size; raw or calcined
- Bulk-bag container shipments

#### Top trading houses

- No major trading houses; producers sell direct to refractory groups

#### How prices are discovered

- Bilateral negotiation
- US Census export unit values reported by USGS
- Indian customs unit values (IBM)
- Trade press and conference reports such as IMFORMED

## Other sections

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