Export Volume Rises While Prices Decline: Analysis Of China’s Abrasives Export Performance in H1 2026

Export Volume Rises While Prices Decline: Analysis of China's Abrasives Export Performance in H1 2026

Industry News  |  September 2026

As one of the world's largest manufacturing bases for abrasives and china diamond tools, China's export performance in the first half of 2026 reveals a distinct structural pattern across four core categories - fused brown alumina, fused white alumina, silicon carbide, and abrasive tools. Customs statistics show that overall export volume increased while total export value dropped, putting average export prices under broad downward pressure across the sector.

Combined exports of the four major product groups reached 848,600 tons, up 7.12% year-on-year, with a total export value of USD 964 million, a 2.97% year-on-year decrease. The widening gap between shipment volume and revenue signals an increasingly competitive global market for chinese abrasive suppliers.

Key Export Data of Four Core Abrasive Categories, H1 2026

Product	Export Volume (10,000 tons)	Volume YoY	Export Value (USD 100M)	Value YoY
Fused Brown Alumina	20.58	-8.39%	1.33	-11.04%
Fused White Alumina	24.97	+13.05%	1.81	-2.44%
Silicon Carbide	20.57	+24.92%	1.69	+13.24%
Abrasive Tools	18.74	+2.97%	4.82	-5.54%

Market performance varied widely by product. Fused brown alumina posted declines in both export volume and value, reflecting weakened demand from traditional manufacturing sectors. Fused white alumina achieved robust shipment growth, though its total export value edged down slightly amid price competition. Silicon carbide stood out as the only segment with year-on-year gains in both volume and value, driven by rising demand from semiconductor and advanced ceramic applications.

Abrasive tools - the category that encompasses a broad range of china diamond tools including diamond grinding wheels, cutting discs, polishing pads and core drill bits - showed a typical pattern of rising volume paired with falling value. With modest shipment growth of 2.97% but a 5.54% drop in export revenue, the segment highlights the pricing pressure faced by chinese diamond tool exporters in global markets. Average export prices across all four categories trended lower during the period.

Monthly Export Trends & Volatility

Monthly export trends demonstrated notable divergences among products. Fused brown alumina's monthly exports followed a low-then-high trajectory, ranging between 26,000 tons and 42,000 tons. Fused white alumina maintained strong momentum, hitting 52,000 tons in May. Silicon carbide exhibited relatively steady monthly shipments. Abrasive tools - including mainstream china diamond tools product lines - experienced the sharpest volatility: exports peaked at 43,000 tons in March before falling to 22,000 tons in April, suggesting seasonal ordering patterns from overseas distributors.

In terms of monthly export value: fused brown alumina dipped to USD 17.51 million in March, rebounded to USD 26.90 million in April and weakened again from May to June. Fused white alumina trended upward steadily, settling at USD 33.15 million in June. Silicon carbide saw the mildest value fluctuations, while abrasive tools swung dramatically - revenue hit USD 110.31 million in March and nearly halved to USD 55.70 million in April.

Top 10 Export Destinations, H1 2026

Fused Brown Alumina	Fused White Alumina	Silicon Carbide	Abrasive Tools
United States	India	United States	India
India	Japan	Japan	Vietnam
Japan	United States	South Korea	Thailand
South Korea	South Korea	Netherlands	Indonesia
Thailand	Türkiye	Mexico	Brazil
Chinese Taiwan	Netherlands	India	Russia
Türkiye	Chinese Taiwan	Vietnam	South Korea
Italy	Germany	Belgium	UAE
Brazil	Russia	Italy	United States
Mexico	Belgium	Chinese Taiwan	Philippines

Breakdown by destination shows distinct market preferences. Fused brown alumina mainly flows to the US, India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. Fused white alumina's primary buyers are India, Japan, the US, South Korea and Türkiye. Silicon carbide exports target the US, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands and Mexico. For abrasive tools - the category that includes the majority of china diamond tools shipments - products are predominantly shipped to India, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and Brazil, indicating strong demand from emerging manufacturing economies in Southeast Asia and South America.

Market Outlook for China Diamond Tools Suppliers

The H1 2026 data underscores both opportunities and challenges for china diamond tools manufacturers and abrasive exporters. While total shipment volumes continue to grow, the decline in average export prices suggests that competition remains intense, particularly in price-sensitive markets. Suppliers that can differentiate through product quality, customized formulations and value-added technical support are better positioned to maintain margins in this environment.

Looking ahead, emerging markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are expected to remain key growth drivers for china diamond tools and abrasive product exports. Meanwhile, silicon carbide's strong performance signals promising opportunities in high-growth sectors such as semiconductors, photovoltaics and advanced ceramics.

Data Note: The raw dataset originates from China General Administration of Customs and is collated by the industry platform. HS code classification used by customs differs from conventional industry categorization. The "abrasive tools" category covers bonded abrasive grinding wheels, grindstones, natural stone abrasives, hand sharpening stones, polishing stones, and a wide range of china diamond tools products.

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