Freight of non-metallic minerals

The freight of non-metallic minerals is set to have expanded at an annualized rate of 2.7% over the five years through 2026, with freight set to expand 8.5% in 2026 alone to reach 12.9 million metric tons. Freight of non-metallic minerals tends to display volatile behavior regarding the tonnage of minerals transported. Sulfur, gypsum, sand, gravel and crushed stone are the primary non-metallic minerals transported via freight. Of all the non-metallic minerals transported, sulfur has historically accounted for more than one-third of the freight. In the past two decades, the amount of sulfur transported has declined, tempering growth in non-metallic freight overall. This has been driven partly by a lower supply of sulfur from processing plants during the same period. In contrast, the amount of sand, gravel and crushed stone transported during the past two decades has increased.

The freight of non-metallic minerals returned to slight growth in 2021, driven by the reopening of the economy, which grew demand for freight carriers to carry more goods to downstream industries. In 2022, freight of non-metallic minerals rose 0.8%, aided by continued demand among more reopened industries operating at a higher rate to sustain increased demand levels. The initiative known as the Critical Minerals Strategy, launched in late 2022, included potash as a list of essential minerals, which has helped grow production rates. In turn, freight carriers of non-metallic minerals saw a 5.1% expansion in 2023 with a lot more downstream industries scaling up their activities in the year. In 2024 these rates expanded in line with a need for these materials to account for buildings relying on diversifying materials to become sustainable. In 2025, the transportation of non-metallic materials decreased amid trade tensions. Freight is set to expand in 2026 as tensions are set to ease, and the need for sustainable construction materials is set to grow as buildings become more reliant on diverse materials for sustainability.