Perlite: Trading
Why perlite is expanded near its customers
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.No exchange trades perlite. Producers sell processed crude ore under contracts to expansion plants, many owned by the same building-products or filtration groups. Prices are quoted f.o.b. mine or delivered, with freight a large share of delivered cost. Trade publications report indicative ranges. The industry is consolidating. In January 2025 a French industrial-minerals group bought a European diatomite and perlite business with three sites in France and Italy.
Where it is bought (buyers)
- Expansion plants in the US (21% of world perlite and vermiculite import value in 2024), Korea (9%), Canada, India, Spain and France (UN Comtrade)
- Board, plaster and horticulture companies buy expanded product locally
Where it is sold (sellers)
- Greece (94% of US imports in 2021-24, USGS) and Turkey are the leading exporters
- China exports some but consumes most of its output (USGS)
Exchanges and benchmarks
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None | No exchange-traded contract | Bilateral sales by size grade |
Contract types
- Annual crude supply contracts from Greek and Turkish mines to expansion plants
- Bulk vessel sales FOB Mediterranean ports
- Local sales of expanded perlite by bag or bulk
Top trading houses
- Few; producers sell direct to their own or third-party expansion plants
How prices are discovered
- USGS f.o.b. mine unit value
- Fastmarkets Industrial Minerals perlite prices (paid)