France: Saint-Gobain Placo has launched Glasroc X 13, a ‘three-in-one’ gypsum wallboard for use in façades and exterior shells for wood-frame structures. The producer says that the board embodies three key benefits for wooden construction applications: fire protection, weather resistance and stability. It can be left uncovered for up to six months before cladding, and is available in 1200mm or 1250mm widths.

Brunei Darussalam/Indonesia: Siam-Indo Gypsum Industry delivered a shipment of gypsum products to Brunei Darussalam earlier in March 2024. The Borneo Bulletin newspaper has reported that the shipment will contribute materials for a 1000-unit housing development in country.

Importer VSL Systems reported that Indonesia's exports to Brunei Darussalam increased consistently year-on-year every year between 2018 and 2022.

China: Beijing New Building Materials’ (BNBM) operating revenue increased by 11% year-on-year to US$3.10bn in 2023 from US$2.79bn in 2022. Its net profit rose by 32% to US$483m from US$367m. Its sales volumes of gypsum wallboard rose by 4% to 2.17Bnm² from 2.09Bnm². This compares to total national sales of 3.21Bnm2. The company is the largest seller of wallboard in China.

The subsidiary of CNBM reported that the country has a wallboard production capacity of 4.95Bnm²/yr, using data from Gypsum Building Materials Branch of the China Building Materials Federation, although 280Mm²/yr of this is classified as ‘backward and uncompetitive.’ It also added that the National Development and Reform Commission proposed in February 2024 that China phase out wallboard production lines with a capacity below 10Mm²/yr as part of the country’s plans to become net zero by 2060.

North America: Market research company IMARC Group has quantified the North American gypsum wallboard market at 2.9Bnm² in 2023. In a report detailing the outlook for the nine years up to 2032, IMARC Group forecast a composite annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.6%, resulting in sales volumes of 3.6Bnm² in 2032.