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India restricts high-grade barite exports: what buyers need to know
The world's largest barite producer now requires a licence to export the grades used in drilling fluids. Here is what changed and how buyers can protect their supply.
Quick answer
On 17 April 2026, India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade moved Grade A barytes (specific gravity 4.2 and above) and Grade B barytes (4.10 to 4.20) from free to restricted export. Shipping them now needs a licence. Lower-grade barytes stay free to export.2
What changed
Notification No. 12/2026-27 from India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), dated 17 April 2026, changed the export policy for natural barium sulphate.3 It splits barytes into three grades by specific gravity:
- Grade A, specific gravity 4.2 and above: now restricted
- Grade B, specific gravity 4.10 to 4.20: now restricted
- Grade CDW, specific gravity below 4.0: still free to export
Restricted does not mean banned. Exporters of Grade A and B material now need prior authorisation from the DGFT. The stated aim is to ensure adequate domestic availability and to support strategic industries in India.2
Why it matters for drilling barite
The restricted grades line up with the barite used in drilling fluids. API Specification 13A defines drilling barite with a minimum specific gravity of 4.20, and an alternative grade with a minimum of 4.10 that the American Petroleum Institute added in 2010.1 India's own grade names follow the same split: A grade at a minimum of 4.2 and B grade at a minimum of 4.1.4
India is the largest producer by a wide margin. In 2025 it mined an estimated 3.0 million tonnes of the world's 8.7 million tonnes, about a third of the total.1 It was also the largest single source of barite imported into the United States between 2021 and 2024.1
Pressure at Mangampet
Most of India's barite comes from the Mangampet deposit in Andhra Pradesh, operated by the state-owned Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation (APMDC). In January 2025, CARE Ratings reported that APMDC considered the reserves limited and likely to be exhausted in the next two to three years.5
In September 2026, a fact-finding committee quoted by The Hans India said steps were being taken to close the mine by 2028. The committee also asked for an inquiry into a bulk tender for 6 million tonnes of barytes and for exports to be suspended while it is examined.6 These are the committee's statements, not an official closure order, but they show the pressure on India's main source.
What buyers can do now
- Map your exposure. Find out how much of your barite is Indian Grade A or B material, and how much of it is covered by existing contracts.
- Qualify a second source early. Approving a new supplier takes time: samples, laboratory tests against API 13A, and a trial shipment. It is easier to do before supply gets tight.
- Check which grade you really need. API 13A accepts both 4.2 and 4.1 specific gravity barite. Being open to both widens the list of possible suppliers.
- Look at other producing countries. Türkiye produced about 260,000 tonnes in 2025 and holds 34 million tonnes of reserves.1 It exported 339,000 tonnes of barite in 2024, to buyers including the United States, Guyana and Egypt.7
Where KHN Minerals fits
KHN Minerals mines barite at its own licensed sites in Türkiye. Our operating licence at Doğanhisar, Konya, covers 1,941 hectares and runs until 2031, with the option to extend. We also hold two barite licences in Yalvaç, Isparta. We offer API barite options for drilling fluid applications and test our ore by XRF from the mine onwards.
Frequently asked questions
Has India banned barite exports?
No. Since 17 April 2026, Grade A and Grade B barytes need an export licence from the DGFT. Grade CDW, below 4.0 specific gravity, can still be exported freely.
Which barite grades are affected?
Grade A, with a specific gravity of 4.2 and above, and Grade B, with a specific gravity of 4.10 to 4.20. These match the two density grades in API 13A.
Does the restriction depend on how the barite is used?
No. The notification defines the grades by specific gravity, not by end use, and it covers lumps, powder and other forms of natural barium sulphate.
Sources
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite, February 2026. pubs.usgs.gov
- Taxscan, "DGFT restricts export of high-grade baryte", 22 April 2026. taxscan.in
- Bhatia Bhola & Associates, "DGFT Notification 12/2026 dated 17.04.2026: baryte export policy amended", 22 April 2026. bhatiabhola.com
- U.S. Geological Survey, Minerals Yearbook 2022: Barite. pubs.usgs.gov
- CARE Ratings, press release on The Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation Limited, January 2025. careratings.com
- The Hans India, "Fact-finding panel seeks cancellation of Mangampet barytes bulk tender", 5 September 2026. thehansindia.com
- World Bank WITS, UN Comtrade data: Türkiye exports of natural barium sulphate (HS 251110), 2024. wits.worldbank.org
Need API barite for your next well?
KHN Minerals mines barite at its own licensed sites in Konya and Isparta, micronizes it in Akyazı and tests it in its own laboratory. Tell us your application, grade and volumes.
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