According to Asian Metal, U.S. imports of fused and dead-burned magnesia dropped by 28.79 % month-on-month in June 2025, marking one of the sharpest short-term declines in recent years. Export volumes from the U.S. also fell more than 35 %, highlighting a broader slowdown in North American magnesia trade.

This contraction comes amid mixed signals from the global refractory supply chain. Chinese shipments remained constrained by export licensing and high logistics costs, while South American and Turkish producers only partially filled the gap. Market analysts suggest that the decline may reflect both seasonal inventory corrections and tighter price competition in high-purity MgO feedstocks.

For U.S. refractory and steel producers, reduced import flow could lead to localized shortages of fused magnesia, potentially affecting spinel and magnesia-carbon product lines through early 2026.