Market evolution: Mineral wool and expanded clays (CN 6806) — 2015–2025

Introduction

This report examines the evolution of EU external trade in products covered by Combined Nomenclature code 6806 — encompassing slag-wool, rock-wool and similar mineral wools; exfoliated vermiculite, expanded clays, foamed slag and similar expanded mineral materials; and mixtures and articles of heat-insulating or sound-absorbing mineral materials. The analysis covers the period 2015–2025 and draws on trade data reported by the European Union. Over this decade, the EU consolidated its position as a net exporter of mineral insulation products, with total export values rising by 26.0% to €813 million and import values increasing by 40.6% to €447 million. However, these headline figures mask a series of structural shifts — including a dramatic reorientation of trade partners following the Russia–Ukraine conflict, a surge in unit prices driven by energy costs and construction-sector demand, and diverging trajectories across the three sub-segments that compose CN 6806.

1. Price-driven growth masks stagnating physical trade volumes

The EU's export value growth outpaces volume expansion

Between 2015 and 2025, EU extra-EU exports of CN 6806 products rose from €645 million to €813 million (+26.0%), but export volumes grew only modestly from 499,293 tonnes to 517,024 tonnes (+3.6%). The bulk of the value increase is therefore attributable to rising unit prices, which climbed from €1,293/t to €1,573/t (+21.7%). The peak unit export price reached €1,736/t, reflecting the inflationary pressures of the 2021–2022 period.

Import values grew faster than export values, driven by a volume rebound

EU imports followed a more volatile trajectory. After a low point in 2015 (€318 million, 212,200 tonnes), import values surged to a peak of €634 million in 2022 before settling at €447 million in 2025. Import volumes peaked at 408,755 tonnes (likely in 2021–2022, during the post-pandemic construction boom and energy crisis) and stood at 268,744 tonnes in 2025. The net trade balance remained positive throughout, widening from €327 million to €366 million, though it narrowed sharply in 2022 when imports surged.

EU domestic production tells the same story: less volume, far more value

According to PRODCOM data linked to CN 6806, EU production volume declined from 5,450 million kg in 2015 to 4,750 million kg in 2025 (−12.8%), while production value more than doubled from €2,265 million to €4,821 million (+112.8%). This implies that average domestic production prices roughly doubled over the decade — consistent with the energy-intensive nature of mineral wool manufacturing and the sharp rise in European energy costs from 2021 onwards. The production volumes data thus corroborate the pattern observed in trade: the market expanded strongly in nominal terms but was largely driven by price inflation rather than physical demand growth.

2. Geopolitical upheaval redraws the EU's trade map

Russia's collapse as a trade partner is the single largest structural shift

The most striking dynamic in the CN 6806 market is the near-total disappearance of the Russian Federation from EU trade flows. EU imports from Russia fell from €10.0 million in 2015 to just €0.1 million in 2025 (−98.9%), while exports to Russia dropped from €35.0 million to virtually zero (−100%). This collapse, concentrated in 2022–2023, is clearly linked to EU sanctions imposed following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russia had been a moderately important supplier of expanded mineral materials and a destination for EU mineral wool exports; its exit created both supply gaps and export-market losses.

Ukraine, Türkiye, and Norway filled the void on the import side

Several partners expanded dramatically to compensate:

Ukraine's surge — from €4.3 million to €39.3 million — is particularly noteworthy. Despite the ongoing war, Ukrainian mineral wool producers (the country has a significant rock-wool industry) redirected exports toward the EU market. Similarly, Türkiye emerged as a major supplier, with imports rising from €2.6 million to €28.3 million, though with high volatility (coefficient of variation of 0.92). The United Kingdom remained the EU's single largest import source throughout the period, growing steadily from €97.7 million to €132.9 million.

The United Kingdom and Switzerland anchor EU exports

On the export side, the United Kingdom was the top destination (€113 million → €147 million, +30.0%), followed by Switzerland (€59 million → €113 million, +92.2%). Switzerland's near-doubling likely reflects both construction activity and its role as a re-export hub. Exports to Norway remained stable at around €50 million. A notable anomaly appears in the data for "Countries and territories not specified" — which jumped from €20,000 to €55.6 million, suggesting either reclassification or reporting changes.

Import concentration fell as supply sources diversified

The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) for imports by value declined from 1,783 to 1,465 (−17.8%), indicating that the EU's import base became meaningfully less concentrated. The loss of Russia as a supplier and the rise of multiple smaller sources (Ukraine, Türkiye, Belarus) contributed to this diversification. Export concentration rose modestly from 688 to 858 (+24.7%), reflecting the growing dominance of the UK and Swiss markets.

3. Sub-segment divergence reveals structural changes in insulation demand

Mineral wool (680610) dominates trade and drives import growth

The sub-segment for slag-wool, rock-wool and similar mineral wools (680610) is by far the largest component, accounting for roughly half of both import and export values. Import volumes for this segment grew from 124,165 tonnes to 197,228 tonnes (+58.8%) over the period, while export volumes were broadly stable at around 226,000 tonnes. Import unit prices for mineral wool rose from €1,193/t to €1,344/t, with a peak of €1,464/t in 2023. Export unit prices followed a steeper trajectory, climbing from €1,356/t to €1,827/t (+34.7%), with a peak of €1,926/t in 2023. The growing import penetration in this segment likely reflects strong EU demand for thermal insulation driven by energy-efficiency legislation (e.g., the EU Renovation Wave), which domestic production could not fully satisfy.

Expanded clays and vermiculite (680620): imports decline, exports rise

The expanded mineral materials segment (680620) followed the opposite pattern. Import volumes fell from 51,956 tonnes in 2015 to 37,408 tonnes in 2025 (−28.0%), while export volumes grew from 114,964 tonnes to 166,700 tonnes (+45.0%). However, import unit prices surged from €1,095/t to €1,495/t (+36.5%), suggesting that the EU increasingly sourced higher-value or more distant supply. Export unit prices rose more modestly from €419/t to €458/t. This sub-segment thus saw the EU strengthen its net-exporter position — a possible reflection of EU producers' competitive advantage in expanded clay and lightweight aggregate production.

Insulation articles and mixtures (680690) show rising export prices and declining volumes

The third sub-segment (680690), covering finished insulation articles and mineral-material mixtures, experienced declining physical trade on both sides. Export volumes fell from 119,578 tonnes to 86,557 tonnes (−27.6%), while import volumes were relatively flat (36,080 → 34,108 tonnes). Yet export unit values soared from €2,043/t to €3,092/t (+51.3%), indicating a shift toward higher-value-added products. This is consistent with the EU's position as a producer of premium, technically specified insulation products (e.g., fire-rated acoustic panels) that command higher per-unit prices.

Poland and Germany anchor the EU's production and export landscape

Within the EU, specialisation data for 2025 reveals that Poland is the most specialised large producer, with an RCA of 3.12 and 20.7% of EU production value — reflecting the country's strong rock-wool manufacturing base. Germany remains the EU's largest exporter by value (€220 million in 2025), followed by Poland (€99 million) and the Netherlands (€110 million). Germany's import value, however, fell from €87 million to €34 million (−61.3%), possibly reflecting increased domestic substitution or the relocation of sourcing to intra-EU suppliers. Meanwhile, Ireland's imports surged from €9.2 million to €55.5 million (+506%), likely linked to its construction boom and limited domestic production capacity.

Conclusion

The EU market for mineral wool and expanded mineral materials (CN 6806) between 2015 and 2025 was shaped by three intersecting forces: the energy-efficiency-driven demand for insulation products, the inflationary shock of the 2021–2022 energy crisis, and the geopolitical realignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The EU maintained and modestly expanded its net-exporter status (trade surplus of €366 million in 2025), but the nature of trade changed fundamentally. Physical volumes grew slowly or declined in most sub-segments, while unit values surged — more than doubling in the case of domestic production. Russia was effectively eliminated as a trade partner and partially replaced by Ukraine and Türkiye on the import side, while the United Kingdom and Switzerland consolidated their roles as the EU's primary export markets. The EU's net import reliance remained negative (i.e., the EU is a net exporter), fluctuating between −1.7% and −10.7%, confirming that the bloc's insulation industry retains a structural competitive advantage even as trade intensity increased from 17.7% to 23.1% over the period.