Gypsum industry news

South America: Belgium-based Etex has announced planned and on-going capital expenditure (CAPEX) investments of €65.7m in its gypsum wallboard plants in South America up to 2027. This consists of a €32.5m upgrade to its Huachipa plant in Lima, Peru, a €21.4m upgrade to its Santa Rosa plant in Santiago, Chile, and a €11.8m upgrade to its La Pampa plant in General Acha, Argentina. The Huachipa plant upgrade is scheduled for completion in late 2026, the Santa Rosa plant upgrade for August 2026 and the La Pampa plant upgrade for early 2027.

CEO Bernard Delvaux said "Latin America is a key region where we have been present for 90 years, with 23 sites and close to 2300 teammates today. We are not only scaling our operations but also raising the bar in efficiency, safety and environmental performance."

Bolivia: The Bolivian Port Services Administration (ASP-B) has shipped 2680t of gypsum via Puerto Busch on the Paraguay River in Santa Cruz to Paraguay. The La Razón newspaper has reported that the company now expects to export 11,600t/yr of gypsum along the route. It plans to despatch 3500t throughout July 2025, rising to 8100t in August 2025.

General director Daniel Villarroel noted the suitability of Puerto Busch to facilitate foreign trade, including with markets around the Atlantic Ocean.

Saudi Arabia: United Mining Industries says that an upcoming new gypsum wallboard line in Saudi Arabia is ‘near to completion’ and will commence commercial production ‘soon.’ In a post to LinkedIn, CEO Hamad Alsourayia gave his best wishes to ‘new plant manager’ Kassim Fakir. No further details on any new plant are yet forthcoming.

United Mining Industries currently operates a 30Mm²/yr gypsum wallboard plant in Yanbu.

Kazakhstan: The government of Kazakhstan will impose a three-month ban on imports of gypsum wallboard from 22 July 2025.

Interfax Central Asia News has reported that Kazakhstan produced 35.5Mm² of gypsum wallboard in 2024, corresponding to 77% utilisation of its 46Mm²/yr capacity. Domestic demand was 38.8Mm².

India: Knauf India has appointed Gaunik Jeet Singh as its Head of Marketing. The role includes responsibility for brand visibility and communication strategy, combining Knauf's global vision with the Indian construction milieu.

Singh has 19 years’ brand management and marketing experience, including at motorcycles producer Hero MotoCorp, paints and coatings producer AkzoNobel, telecommunications company Airtel and finance company DigiSpice Technologies. He holds a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Symbiosis International University and bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications from Savitribai Phule Pune University, both in Pune, India.

Singh said "The Knauf India brand has a strong foundation and there's a real opportunity to build a deeper awareness and connect meaningfully with our stakeholders. I look forward to working with the team to further elevate Knauf's brand in India and beyond."