The US bentonite market experienced a decline in January of 2026 as demand was lower than expected following the holidays. There has been a steady supply in the US, as mining in Wyoming and South Dakota continued without interruption. However, offtake of bentonite for use in many downstream sectors was slower than normal. Automotive foundries have maintained unchanged levels of casting activity; conservative drilling programs limited the demand of bentonite as a component in oil field applications; and consumer segments (such as pet litter) were operating at their normal run rates, without the seasonal restocking of inventory, whilst in the construction-related sector there was a typical mid-winter slowdown in the demand for the product. There were very few exports of bentonite to Canada or Mexico, which meant that there has also been limited overseas support for the product market. With inventories remaining at a very low level and logistics functioning normally, the bentonite market had begun the year with balanced, but not particularly exciting, fundamentals.
