Asbestos is still used in many parts of the world, though the United States effectively banned its last remaining commercial uses starting in 2024. Globally, over 1.2 million metric tons of asbestos were mined in 2024 alone, mostly feeding demand for construction materials in Asia. The picture in the U.S. is more nuanced than a simple yes or no: new uses are now prohibited, but asbestos already embedded in older buildings, pipes, and insulation remains widespread and largely unregulated.
What the 2024 U.S. Ban Actually Covers
In March 2024, the EPA finalized a rule banning chrysotile asbestos, the only type still actively imported into the country. The ban didn’t take effect all at once. It rolled out in phases targeting the specific industries that were still buying the mineral:
- Oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes, and gaskets: Manufacturing, importing, and selling these products became illegal in November 2024.
- Sheet gaskets for chemical production: Banned as of May 2026.
- Chlor-alkali industry diaphragms: Importing asbestos for these was banned immediately in May 2024, but plants that already use asbestos diaphragms have until 2029 to transition, with some extensions stretching as long as 12 years.
Before this rule, the U.S. had never achieved a comprehensive asbestos ban. A 1989 EPA attempt was largely overturned by a federal court in 1991, leaving most commercial uses technically legal for decades. The country was still importing raw asbestos fiber from Brazil as recently as 2022, when 224 metric tons entered the country. By 2025, U.S. consumption had dropped to an estimated 50 tons, and direct imports of asbestos fiber had effectively ceased.
Asbestos Already in Place Isn’t Banned
The 2024 rule targets new manufacturing, importing, and selling. It does not require anyone to remove asbestos that’s already installed. Millions of homes, schools, and commercial buildings constructed before the 1980s contain asbestos in floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe insulation, roofing materials, and cement products. This “legacy” asbestos is a separate regulatory category entirely.
The EPA released a supplemental risk evaluation in November 2024 that specifically examined legacy uses and the disposal of old asbestos-containing materials. That evaluation also expanded beyond chrysotile to assess other asbestos fiber types (like amosite and crocidolite) that haven’t been imported in years but still sit in building materials across the country. Any future regulations addressing legacy asbestos would come from this evaluation, but no removal mandates exist at the federal level today.
If you own an older home, this matters practically. Asbestos in intact, undisturbed materials generally poses low risk. The danger comes when those materials are cut, drilled, sanded, or crumble with age, releasing microscopic fibers into the air. Renovations and demolitions in pre-1980s buildings remain the primary way Americans are exposed to asbestos today.
Talc Products and Contamination Concerns
Asbestos and talc form in similar geological conditions, which means talc deposits can be naturally contaminated with asbestos fibers. This has raised ongoing concerns about talc-based cosmetics, including powders marketed to children. The FDA has been testing talc-containing cosmetic products for asbestos contamination, selecting products based on popularity, price range, social media presence, and third-party reports of potential contamination.
A proposed rule in late 2024 would have established standardized testing methods for detecting asbestos in cosmetic talc, as required by the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022. However, the FDA withdrew that proposal in November 2025 after public comments raised issues that needed further assessment. There is currently no federal requirement for cosmetic companies to test their talc for asbestos before selling it, though products must be safe for consumers under their intended use.
Where Asbestos Is Still Widely Used
Outside the U.S. and Europe, asbestos remains a mainstream building material. Russia is by far the largest producer, mining an estimated 600,000 metric tons in 2024. Kazakhstan produced 210,000 tons, China 200,000 tons, and Brazil 160,000 tons. The global total reached roughly 1.2 million metric tons.
Worldwide consumption has held relatively steady between 1.1 and 1.4 million tons per year from 2015 through 2024. The primary uses are cement pipes, roofing sheets, and other construction materials, predominantly in Asia. Countries like India, Indonesia, and several nations across Africa and Southeast Asia continue to use asbestos-cement products extensively because they’re cheap and durable. More than 60 countries have banned asbestos entirely, but many of the world’s most populous nations have not.
Why a Full Ban Took So Long in the U.S.
The gap between public awareness and regulatory action on asbestos spans decades. Most Americans assume asbestos was banned long ago, partly because its use in insulation, fireproofing, and most consumer products did decline sharply in the 1970s and 1980s. But the legal framework never caught up. After the 1991 court ruling gutted the EPA’s original ban, only a handful of specific product categories were restricted. Industrial users, particularly in the chlor-alkali industry (which produces chlorine and sodium hydroxide for water treatment and chemical manufacturing), continued importing raw asbestos fiber legally.
The 2024 rule was issued under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was amended and strengthened in 2016. The EPA’s approach was to address chrysotile first because it was the only fiber type still entering the country through active commerce. The agency then turned to Part 2 of its risk evaluation to assess the five other recognized asbestos fiber types, legacy exposures, and asbestos-contaminated talc.
What This Means for You
If you’re concerned about asbestos exposure in the U.S., the risks today are almost entirely tied to older buildings rather than new products. Asbestos-containing automotive parts and industrial gaskets can no longer be legally sold, and raw fiber imports have stopped. But if your home was built before 1980, there’s a reasonable chance asbestos is present in some building materials. Before any renovation or demolition work, having suspect materials tested by a certified lab is the most practical step you can take. Removal, when necessary, should be handled by licensed abatement professionals, since improper disturbance creates exactly the kind of airborne exposure that causes disease.
For people living in countries where asbestos is still in active use, the exposure picture is very different. Construction workers, miners, and residents of buildings with deteriorating asbestos-cement materials face ongoing risks that mirror what the industrialized world experienced decades ago.