EPISODE · Jun 4, 2026 · 9 MIN
How the US Lost Its Abrasives Edge and Why It Matters
from The Manufacturing Economy with Fexingo: Factories, Industrial Output, and Domestic Production · host Fexingo
Episode 30 of The Manufacturing Economy explores the critical role of industrial abrasives—the super-hard minerals used in grinding, cutting, and polishing everything from jet engine blades to semiconductor wafers. Lucas and Luna trace how the United States went from global leader in manufactured abrasives to relying on imports from China and Canada for over 60 percent of supply. They focus on a single plant in Niagara Falls, New York, once the world's largest silicon carbide producer, and what its closure in 2019 says about the broader erosion of US capabilities in advanced materials. The hosts also discuss a small Ohio startup that is trying to resurrect domestic production using a novel electric arc furnace process. This episode shows why abrasives are a canary in the coal mine for industrial competitiveness and what reshoring efforts can learn from a gritty, often overlooked sector. #Manufacturing #SupplyChain #Reshoring #Abrasives #SiliconCarbide #IndustrialMaterials #TradeWar #NiagaraFalls #Ohio #AdvancedManufacturing #CriticalMinerals #FactoryEconomy #Economics #Business #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #IndustrialPolicy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
What this episode covers
Episode 30 of The Manufacturing Economy explores the critical role of industrial abrasives—the super-hard minerals used in grinding, cutting, and polishing everything from jet engine blades to semiconductor wafers. Lucas and Luna trace how the United States went from global leader in manufactured abrasives to relying on imports from China and Canada for over 60 percent of supply. They focus on a single plant in Niagara Falls, New York, once the world's largest silicon carbide producer, and what its closure in 2019 says about the broader erosion of US capabilities in advanced materials. The hosts also discuss a small Ohio startup that is trying to resurrect domestic production using a novel electric arc furnace process. This episode shows why abrasives are a canary in the coal mine for industrial competitiveness and what reshoring efforts can learn from a gritty, often overlooked sector. #Manufacturing #SupplyChain #Reshoring #Abrasives #SiliconCarbide #IndustrialMaterials #TradeWar #NiagaraFalls #Ohio #AdvancedManufacturing #CriticalMinerals #FactoryEconomy #Economics #Business #Podcast #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #IndustrialPolicy Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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How the US Lost Its Abrasives Edge and Why It Matters
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