Authoritative sources and verifiable data
Every claim we make about our own products can be checked against a third party. Below are the official sources we use ourselves — the same ones you should use when you verify any mineral supplier, including us. Each quotation is copied word for word from the publishing body and links to its official page.
How to use this page
Mineral powder buying is a verification business. Ask any supplier for their COA, then check the COA against these sources: the HS code and tariff line from the WCO, the import and export flows for that code from Comtrade or Trade Map, the production and reserve picture from USGS, and — for anything consumed by people or in food contact — the current regulatory status from IARC, EFSA and EUR-Lex. A supplier who cannot tell you which of these their numbers come from is telling you something.
Trade and market data
Quoted verbatim from the official page, with a direct link to it.
UN Comtrade Database — global annual and monthly merchandise trade statistics by product and partner
Statistics United Nations Statistics Division — UN Comtrade
“The United Nations Comtrade database aggregates detailed global annual and monthly trade statistics by product and trading partner for use by governments, academia, research institutes, and enterprises.”
— United Nations Statistics Division — UN Comtrade, UN Comtrade Database — global annual and monthly merchandise trade statistics by product and partner, official source
Why it matters: Verify HS-code level trade flows, import dependence and market size before you commit to a supplier.
ITC Trade Map — trade data for goods and services, 230+ economies, updated monthly, quarterly and yearly
Statistics International Trade Centre (ITC) — Trade Map
“Covering over 230 economies, it provides trade data for goods and services — from broad aggregates down to the tariff line and EBOPS 2010 — updated monthly, quarterly, and yearly.”
— International Trade Centre (ITC) — Trade Map, ITC Trade Map — trade data for goods and services, 230+ economies, updated monthly, quarterly and yearly, official source
Why it matters: Compare unit prices and market concentration across exporters for the same HS code.
Customs and classification
Quoted verbatim from the official page, with a direct link to it.
Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) — the multipurpose international product nomenclature
Reference World Customs Organization (WCO)
“The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System generally referred to as "Harmonized System" or simply "HS" is a multipurpose international product nomenclature developed by the World Customs Organization (WCO).”
— World Customs Organization (WCO), Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) — the multipurpose international product nomenclature, official source
Why it matters: The authoritative source for the six-digit global HS code; national tariff lines add digits on top.
Production and reserves
Quoted verbatim from the official page, with a direct link to it.
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Talc and Pyrophyllite (data year 2025, published February 2026)
Statistics U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
“The MCS is the earliest comprehensive source of 2025 mineral production data for the world.”
— U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Talc and Pyrophyllite (data year 2025, published February 2026), official source
Why it matters: US talc output, import sources, tariffs (HS 2526.20.0000) and world reserves — independent of any supplier.
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Magnesium Compounds (data year 2025, published February 2026)
Statistics U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
“The MCS is the earliest comprehensive source of 2025 mineral production data for the world.”
— U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Magnesium Compounds (data year 2025, published February 2026), official source
Why it matters: Caustic-calcined, dead-burned and fused magnesia import sources and tariffs (HS 2519.90).
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Stone (Crushed) and Sand and Gravel (construction)
Statistics U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026
“The MCS is the earliest comprehensive source of 2025 mineral production data for the world.”
— U.S. Geological Survey — Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — Stone (Crushed) and Sand and Gravel (construction), official source
Why it matters: US construction aggregates demand context for landscaping stone and sand products.
Health, safety and regulation
Quoted verbatim from the official page, with a direct link to it.
IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — Talc and Acrylonitrile
Reference International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO
“The Working Group classified talc as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A) on the basis of a combination of limited evidence for cancer in humans (for ovarian cancer), sufficient evidence for cancer in experimental animals, and strong mechanistic evidence that talc exhibits key characteristics of carcinogens in human primary cells and experimental systems.”
— International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — Talc and Acrylonitrile, official source
Why it matters: IARC Group 2A refers to the strength of evidence on cancer HAZARD, not the risk level at a given exposure.
IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — talc containing asbestos, asbestos classification
Reference International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO
“Talc containing asbestos is currently classified as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), as part of the classification of asbestos carried out in IARC Monographs Volume 100C.”
— International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — talc containing asbestos, asbestos classification, official source
Why it matters: Asbestos-contaminated talc falls under Group 1 — this is the reason asbestos-free documentation is the first question buyers ask.
IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — limitations of current talc asbestos test methods
Reference International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO
“The Working Group also noted that contamination of talc products with asbestos has been documented and that industry standards used to assess talc in cosmetic and pharmaceutical products have often not been sufficiently sensitive to rule out contamination with asbestos.”
— International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), WHO, IARC Monographs Volume 136 (2025) — limitations of current talc asbestos test methods, official source
Why it matters: Ask which analytical method the COA came from — PLM alone can produce false negatives.
EFSA call for data — Talc E 553b (quoting the ECHA RAC opinion of July 2025)
Committee opinion — not yet in force European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), citing ECHA Risk Assessment Committee
“In July 2025, ECHA Risk Assessment Committee (RAC) published an opinion on talc, proposing a harmonized classification for talc as follows: “Carcinogen category 1B (H350 – May cause cancer)” and as “STOT RE 1 (H372 – Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure, by inhalation).””
— European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), citing ECHA Risk Assessment Committee, EFSA call for data — Talc E 553b (quoting the ECHA RAC opinion of July 2025), official source
Why it matters: As of October 2026 this is a RAC opinion, NOT yet a harmonised EU regulation — the Commission decision is still pending.
Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP)
In force European Parliament and Council of the European Union
“Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending Directive 67/548/EEC and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006.”
— European Parliament and Council of the European Union, Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP), official source
Why it matters: The legal instrument that carries hazard classes, labelling and SDS requirements for EU-market shipments.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 on fertilisers
In force European Parliament and Council of the European Union
“Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on fertilisers and amending Regulations (EC) No 1062/2008 and (EC) No 2000/32.”
— European Parliament and Council of the European Union, Regulation (EU) 2019/1009 on fertilisers, official source
Why it matters: Mandatory EU framework for dolomite and magnesium used as soil amendments in agriculture.
Withdrawal of Proposed Rule — Testing Methods for Detecting and Identifying Asbestos in Talc-Containing Cosmetic Products (2025-11-28)
Withdrawn U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Federal Register, 90 FR 54603)
“The proposed rule published December 27, 2024 (89 FR 105490) is withdrawn as of November 28, 2025.”
— U.S. Food and Drug Administration (Federal Register, 90 FR 54603), Withdrawal of Proposed Rule — Testing Methods for Detecting and Identifying Asbestos in Talc-Containing Cosmetic Products (2025-11-28), official source
Why it matters: US cosmetic-grade talc testing rule was withdrawn in Nov 2025 — do not tell buyers it is in force.
Chemical safety information
Quoted verbatim from the official page, with a direct link to it.
OECD eChemPortal — public access to chemical property and toxicity information
Reference Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
“eChemPortal provides public access to information on properties of chemicals such as physical/chemical properties, ecotoxicity, environmental fate and behavior, and toxicity.”
— Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD eChemPortal — public access to chemical property and toxicity information, official source
Why it matters: Cross-check CAS, hazard and toxicity data across jurisdictions before signing a specification.
Want the same data for your own specification?
Tell us the grade, mesh size and destination market. We send a batch certificate you can verify against these same sources.
A note on how we mark legal status
Regulatory documents change status, and a supplier website that quotes a proposal as if it were law is worse than one that says nothing. Every source above carries an explicit status:
- In force — binding law or convention you must comply with (CLP Regulation, EU Fertiliser Regulation).
- Committee opinion — an expert body recommendation that is not yet law. The ECHA RAC opinion of July 2025 proposing talc as Category 1B (H350) and STOT RE 1 (H372) is in this state: the opinion is published, the Commission decision is still pending.
- Withdrawn — previously proposed but no longer active. The FDA cosmetic-grade talc asbestos testing rule, proposed December 2024, was withdrawn on 28 November 2025 and will be reconsidered.
- Statistics — published data with a named methodology and data year, not a marketing claim.
Where our own product data is concerned, we do not publish figures we cannot evidence. For grades where we have no in-house measured values yet, the specification sheet says so rather than filling in a plausible number.