# Critical-Minerals.si

> An independent visual database of 72 critical minerals and materials: which governments list them as critical (US USGS & DOE, EU, UK, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada), where they are mined (USGS 2025 production by country), how concentrated and constrained supply is, and why each matters for AI infrastructure (chips, optics, power, grid, cooling, backup).

Data sources: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, the USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals, official government lists, and the IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026. Methodology: https://critical-minerals.si/methodology

## Core pages
- [Mineral explorer](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals): filter and sort all 72 minerals by supply status, top producer, China's share, US import reliance and AI relevance
- [World atlas](https://critical-minerals.si/atlas): production share by country
- [Government lists compared](https://critical-minerals.si/lists): side-by-side membership of 10 official critical-mineral lists
- [AI infrastructure stack](https://critical-minerals.si/ai): which minerals each AI layer depends on
- [Signals](https://critical-minerals.si/signals): dated quick takes on export controls, prices, policy and supply
- [Investment thesis](https://critical-minerals.si/invest): 79 public stocks, ETFs and commodity funds giving exposure to critical minerals, grouped into seven AI-infrastructure buckets (grid metals, chip and optics minerals, rare earths and magnets, battery storage, uranium, strategic metals, diversified majors) with scarcity scores, government stakes and a screener. Not investment advice.
  - [Grid & power metals](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/grid)
  - [Chip & optics minerals](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/chips)
  - [Rare earths & magnets](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/magnets)
  - [Battery & backup storage](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/storage)
  - [Nuclear fuel for AI power](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/nuclear)
  - [Strategic & defense metals](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/strategic)
  - [Diversified majors & broad baskets](https://critical-minerals.si/invest/diversified)

## Machine-readable data
- [Data catalog](https://critical-minerals.si/data/index.json): every endpoint with descriptions (JSON). Human docs and terms: https://critical-minerals.si/data
- [All minerals](https://critical-minerals.si/data/minerals.json) ([CSV](https://critical-minerals.si/data/minerals.csv)): status, concentration, US import reliance, AI relevance, risk index, processing gap
- [Supply chain by step](https://critical-minerals.si/data/stages.json) ([CSV](https://critical-minerals.si/data/stages.csv)): country shares at mining, refining, metal and finished-product steps, with confidence and sources
- [Country production](https://critical-minerals.si/data/production.csv): USGS 2024–2025 production and reserves by country
- [Government lists](https://critical-minerals.si/data/lists.json) ([CSV](https://critical-minerals.si/data/list-membership.csv))
- [Companies](https://critical-minerals.si/data/companies.json) ([CSV](https://critical-minerals.si/data/companies.csv)): stage, size tier, minerals, HQ, US operations, government support
- Per-mineral JSON: https://critical-minerals.si/data/minerals/{id}.json · Per-mineral Markdown: https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/{id}.md · Full text: https://critical-minerals.si/llms-full.txt
- Terms: free to read and cite with attribution to Critical-Minerals.si; no bulk resale without permission.

## Minerals
- [Lithium (Li)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/lithium): Structural deficit; top producer Australia (32%); on 10 of 10 lists. The lightest metal and the heart of every lithium-ion battery — from phones and EVs to the grid-scale storage now being bolted onto data centers.
- [Cobalt (Co)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/cobalt): Structural deficit; top producer DR Congo (74%); on 10 of 10 lists. A battery cathode and superalloy metal. About three-quarters of mined supply comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- [Nickel (Ni)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/nickel): Watch; top producer Indonesia (67%); on 10 of 10 lists. Stainless steel's key ingredient and a high-energy battery cathode metal. Indonesia now produces roughly two-thirds of the world's mine supply.
- [Graphite (C)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/graphite): Tight / restricted; top producer China (78%); on 10 of 10 lists. The anode in nearly every lithium-ion battery, plus electrodes for steelmaking. China mines ~78% and refines over 90% of battery-grade material.
- [Manganese (Mn)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/manganese): Watch; top producer South Africa (38%); on 7 of 10 lists. Indispensable for steelmaking and increasingly used in battery cathodes (LMFP, NMC). China refines over 90% of battery-grade manganese.
- [Vanadium (V)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/vanadium): Watch; top producer China (75%); on 8 of 10 lists. A steel-strengthening alloy and the active material in vanadium redox flow batteries for long-duration storage.
- [Gallium (Ga)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/gallium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (100%); on 9 of 10 lists. A by-product of aluminum refining that becomes gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) — the materials of power electronics, RF chips and lasers.
- [Germanium (Ge)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/germanium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 7 of 10 lists. A semiconductor metal recovered from zinc and coal ash, essential for fiber-optic cores, infrared optics and high-speed SiGe chips.
- [Indium (In)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/indium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 7 of 10 lists. A soft by-product metal used in touchscreens (ITO) and in indium phosphide — the compound semiconductor behind many high-speed optical lasers.
- [Silicon (Si)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/silicon): Watch; top producer China (87%); on 9 of 10 lists. The substrate of the digital age. Metallurgical silicon is refined into polysilicon and grown into the wafers every chip is built on — and it is this site's namesake.
- [Arsenic (As)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/arsenic): Watch; top producer Peru (49%); on 3 of 10 lists. A toxic metalloid that is nevertheless vital as high-purity metal for gallium-arsenide chips and as a silicon dopant.
- [Antimony (Sb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/antimony): Tight / restricted; top producer China (36%); on 9 of 10 lists. Used in flame retardants, lead-acid batteries, munitions and as a semiconductor dopant. China and Russia dominate supply.
- [Tellurium (Te)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/tellurium): Watch; top producer China (80%); on 6 of 10 lists. A rare by-product of copper refining used in cadmium-telluride solar panels, thermoelectric coolers and phase-change memory.
- [Selenium (Se)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/selenium): Adequate; top producer China (53%); on 3 of 10 lists. A copper-refining by-product used in glass, metallurgy, solar cells (CIGS) and electronics.
- [Hafnium (Hf)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/hafnium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 5 of 10 lists. A zirconium by-product that forms hafnium oxide — the 'high-k' gate dielectric inside nearly every advanced logic transistor.
- [Tantalum (Ta)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/tantalum): Watch; top producer DR Congo (52%); on 8 of 10 lists. A corrosion-proof metal used in compact, reliable capacitors and in chip barrier layers. DR Congo and Rwanda supply most mined tantalum.
- [Boron (B)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/boron): Watch; top producer Turkey; on 4 of 10 lists. Mined as borates (Turkey dominates) for glass, ceramics and NdFeB magnets; ultra-pure boron is a key p-type dopant in silicon.
- [Phosphate & Phosphorus (P)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/phosphorus): Watch; top producer China (44%); on 8 of 10 lists. Phosphate rock feeds the world's fertilizers; refined phosphorus is used in LFP batteries, flame retardants and as a semiconductor dopant.
- [Cadmium (Cd)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/cadmium): Adequate; top producer China (41%); on 1 of 10 lists. A zinc-refining by-product used in nickel-cadmium batteries and cadmium-telluride thin-film solar panels.
- [Copper (Cu)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/copper): Structural deficit; top producer Chile (23%); on 9 of 10 lists. The metal of electrification. Copper wires the grid, the substation, the busbar and the chip — and it is the single largest mineral input to AI infrastructure.
- [Aluminum (Al)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/aluminum): Watch; top producer China (61%); on 9 of 10 lists. Light, conductive and recyclable — used in transmission lines, server chassis, heat sinks and building structures. Made from bauxite (Guinea, Australia).
- [Zinc (Zn)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/zinc): Adequate; top producer China (32%); on 6 of 10 lists. Galvanizes steel against corrosion and is the main source of by-product germanium, indium and cadmium.
- [Lead (Pb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/lead): Adequate; top producer China (42%); on 2 of 10 lists. Still the workhorse of lead-acid batteries used in vehicles and many backup power systems.
- [Tin (Sn)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/tin): Watch; top producer China (24%); on 8 of 10 lists. The solder that joins every electronic component to every circuit board. Supply comes from China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru and DR Congo.
- [High-purity Iron (Fe)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/iron): Adequate; top producer Australia (38%); on 4 of 10 lists. High-purity iron ore feeds low-carbon steelmaking and specialty materials, including the electrical steel inside transformers.
- [Electrical Steel (GOES) (GOES)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/electrical_steel): Tight / restricted; top producer n/a; on 1 of 10 lists. Grain-oriented electrical steel forms the magnetic cores of power transformers — a chronic bottleneck in grid build-out. Listed by the US DOE as a critical material.
- [Silicon Carbide (SiC)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/silicon_carbide): Watch; top producer n/a; on 1 of 10 lists. A wide-bandgap semiconductor that switches high voltages efficiently. Listed by the US DOE as a critical material for energy.
- [Tungsten (W)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/tungsten): Tight / restricted; top producer China (79%); on 9 of 10 lists. The densest common metal with the highest melting point — used for cutting tools, armor, and as the 'plugs' that connect chip transistors to wiring.
- [Molybdenum (Mo)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/molybdenum): Watch; top producer China (37%); on 6 of 10 lists. A steel-hardening and high-temperature metal, also used in thin films for displays and as an emerging chip-wiring material.
- [Niobium (Nb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/niobium): Watch; top producer Brazil (93%); on 8 of 10 lists. Strengthens steel pipelines and structures in tiny amounts; also forms superconducting magnets. Brazil supplies about 93%.
- [Titanium (Ti)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/titanium): Watch; top producer China (70%); on 8 of 10 lists. Strong, light and corrosion-resistant — the aerospace metal. Titanium dioxide is also the world's main white pigment.
- [Zirconium (Zr)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/zirconium): Adequate; top producer Australia (33%); on 6 of 10 lists. Zircon sands feed ceramics and refractories; zirconium metal clads nuclear fuel rods.
- [Chromium (Cr)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/chromium): Watch; top producer South Africa (45%); on 6 of 10 lists. What makes stainless steel stainless. South Africa produces close to half the world's chromite.
- [Magnesium (Mg)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/magnesium): Watch; top producer China (86%); on 8 of 10 lists. The lightest structural metal, used in aluminum alloys, die-cast parts and titanium production. China makes ~86% of the metal.
- [Beryllium (Be)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/beryllium): Adequate; top producer United States (53%); on 5 of 10 lists. An ultra-light, stiff metal used in aerospace, defense optics and copper-beryllium connectors. The US is the leading producer.
- [Rhenium (Re)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/rhenium): Watch; top producer Chile (37%); on 4 of 10 lists. One of the rarest elements in Earth's crust, recovered from molybdenum in copper ores and used in jet-engine and gas-turbine superalloys.
- [Bismuth (Bi)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/bismuth): Watch; top producer China (88%); on 8 of 10 lists. A heavy, non-toxic metal used in pharmaceuticals, low-melt solders and lead-free alloys. China refines ~88%.
- [Scandium (Sc)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/scandium): Tight / restricted; top producer China; on 4 of 10 lists. A tiny market (~80 t/yr) with outsized uses in aluminum-scandium alloys, solid-oxide fuel cells, and ScAlN for 5G RF filters.
- [Strontium (Sr)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/strontium): Adequate; top producer Iran (56%); on 4 of 10 lists. Mined as celestite for drilling fluids, ceramic ferrite magnets and aluminum alloys.
- [Cesium (Cs)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/cesium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 3 of 10 lists. A soft alkali metal that defines the second: cesium atomic clocks underpin GPS and network timing.
- [Rubidium (Rb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/rubidium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 1 of 10 lists. An alkali metal used in atomic clocks and research — and, per USGS, in data-network synchronization.
- [Platinum (Pt)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/platinum): Watch; top producer South Africa (71%); on 9 of 10 lists. A precious catalyst metal for vehicle exhausts, hydrogen fuel cells and glass-fiber production. South Africa supplies ~71%.
- [Palladium (Pd)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/palladium): Watch; top producer Russia (44%); on 7 of 10 lists. Mostly used in gasoline catalytic converters, but also in multilayer ceramic capacitors and electronic plating. Russia and South Africa dominate.
- [Rhodium (Rh)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/rhodium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 7 of 10 lists. The rarest and often priciest PGM, used in catalytic converters and glass-fiber bushings.
- [Iridium (Ir)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/iridium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 8 of 10 lists. The most corrosion-resistant metal, critical for PEM electrolyzers that make green hydrogen and for crucibles that grow crystals.
- [Ruthenium (Ru)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/ruthenium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 7 of 10 lists. A PGM used in hard-disk drives, chip resistors and — increasingly — as a next-generation chip interconnect metal.
- [Silver (Ag)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/silver): Watch; top producer Mexico (24%); on 1 of 10 lists. The most electrically conductive element — used in solar cells, electrical contacts, brazing and electronics.
- [Gold (Au)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/gold): Adequate; top producer China (12%); on 1 of 10 lists. Beyond bullion, gold plates connectors and bonds chips. Listed as a strategic mineral by China.
- [Fluorspar (F)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/fluorspar): Watch; top producer China (60%); on 7 of 10 lists. The source of fluorine for hydrofluoric acid, refrigerants, battery electrolytes and fluoropolymers. China mines ~60%.
- [Helium (He)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/helium): Tight / restricted; top producer United States (43%); on 3 of 10 lists. An irreplaceable inert gas recovered from natural gas, used in chip fabs, MRI scanners, fiber-optic drawing and leak detection.
- [Barite (Ba)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/barite): Adequate; top producer India (34%); on 2 of 10 lists. A dense mineral used mainly to weight oil-and-gas drilling fluids, and in medical imaging.
- [Feldspar (Fsp)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/feldspar): Adequate; top producer India (19%); on 1 of 10 lists. The most abundant mineral group in Earth's crust, used in glass and ceramics. Listed as critical by the EU.
- [Magnesite (MgCO₃)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/magnesite): Watch; top producer China (60%); on 1 of 10 lists. Magnesium carbonate ore used for refractories that line steel furnaces and as a source of magnesium compounds.
- [Sodium (Na)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/sodium): Adequate; top producer n/a; on 1 of 10 lists. Abundant and cheap — listed by the UK as critical, partly for its role in emerging sodium-ion batteries.
- [Uranium (U)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/uranium): Watch; top producer n/a; on 4 of 10 lists. The fuel of nuclear power. Hyperscalers have signed agreements to restart and build reactors to power AI.
- [Metallurgical Coal (MC)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/met_coal): Adequate; top producer n/a; on 3 of 10 lists. Coking coal used to make the coke that reduces iron ore to steel. Added to the US list in 2025 and listed by the EU.
- [Potash (K)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/potash): Watch; top producer Canada (31%); on 4 of 10 lists. Potassium salts that fertilize the world's crops. Canada, Russia and Belarus dominate supply.
- [Lanthanum (La)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/lanthanum): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 9 of 10 lists. Used in catalysts that refine petroleum, nickel-metal-hydride batteries and high-index optical glass.
- [Cerium (Ce)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/cerium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 9 of 10 lists. The most abundant rare earth — used for glass polishing, catalytic converters and ceramics.
- [Praseodymium (Pr)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/praseodymium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 9 of 10 lists. Partners with neodymium in NdPr magnets — the strongest permanent magnets made.
- [Neodymium (Nd)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/neodymium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 10 of 10 lists. The 'Nd' in NdFeB magnets inside EV motors, wind turbines, speakers and hard drives.
- [Samarium (Sm)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/samarium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. Forms samarium-cobalt magnets that keep their strength at high temperatures — vital for defense systems.
- [Europium (Eu)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/europium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. A phosphor element that produced red light in screens and still secures euro banknotes.
- [Gadolinium (Gd)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/gadolinium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. Used in MRI contrast agents, nuclear control and magnet alloys.
- [Terbium (Tb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/terbium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 10 of 10 lists. A heavy rare earth that lets NdFeB magnets resist demagnetization at high heat.
- [Dysprosium (Dy)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/dysprosium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 10 of 10 lists. The other heat-resistance additive for NdFeB magnets — among the most supply-constrained rare earths.
- [Holmium (Ho)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/holmium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. Has the highest magnetic strength of any element; used in lasers and magnet pole pieces.
- [Erbium (Er)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/erbium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. The amplifier of the internet: erbium-doped fiber amplifiers boost light signals across long-haul optical networks.
- [Thulium (Tm)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/thulium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. One of the rarest rare earths; used in medical lasers and portable X-ray devices.
- [Ytterbium (Yb)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/ytterbium): Watch; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. Used in fiber lasers, atomic clocks and stress gauges.
- [Lutetium (Lu)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/lutetium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. The heaviest rare earth; used in PET-scan detectors and cancer radiotherapy.
- [Yttrium (Y)](https://critical-minerals.si/minerals/yttrium): Tight / restricted; top producer China (69%); on 8 of 10 lists. Used in YAG lasers, phosphors, thermal-barrier coatings and yttria-stabilized zirconia.

## Signals (latest first)
- [USGS maps 1,271 US critical-mineral deposits](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/usgs-maps-us-critical-mineral-deposits) (2026-09-29): The US has more of the minerals it worries about than its import numbers suggest. The hard part is turning deposits into mines.
- [Glencore gets $500M EXIM backing for a US minerals reserve](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/glencore-exim-us-strategic-minerals-reserve) (2026-09-23): A global trader-miner becomes a supplier to a US government-backed reserve. Expect more public-private stockpiling deals like this.
- [China's rare-earth exports to Japan stay at zero](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/china-rare-earth-exports-japan-zero) (2026-09-22): Beijing's rare-earth curbs are selective. Japan is getting nothing, South Korea is getting more than ever, and the US is somewhere in between.
- [Gallium and germanium hit record prices outside China](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/gallium-germanium-record-prices-outside-china) (2026-09-18): Three years into China's controls, the West still can't replace Chinese gallium and germanium — and buyers are paying close to ten times more for it.
- [China's grip on refining tightens outside rare earths](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/china-refining-grip-tightens-outside-rare-earths) (2026-09-14): The West is making headway on rare-earth refining. Across most other critical minerals, China's share is still climbing.
- [AI demand and tariffs send copper to a record](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/copper-record-ai-demand-tariffs) (2026-09-10): Copper is having its moment: shrinking mine output, AI and grid demand, and tariff panic all pointing the same way.
- [Study: copper is ~83% of AI data-center mineral demand](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/ai-data-centers-copper-mineral-demand-study) (2026-09-04): A new demand model confirms what grid engineers already suspected: AI's mineral footprint is mostly copper, and mostly outside the server hall.
- [Pentagon backs Alcoa gallium plant in Australia](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/pentagon-backs-alcoa-gallium-plant-australia) (2026-08-31): The US is now buying equity in foreign mineral projects. A gallium plant in Western Australia is the latest example.
- [DR Congo bans copper and cobalt concentrate exports](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/dr-congo-bans-copper-cobalt-concentrate-exports) (2026-08-06): The world's dominant cobalt producer is tightening control again — this time pushing more processing onshore.
- [IEA Global Critical Minerals Outlook 2026](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/iea-global-critical-minerals-outlook-2026) (2026-07-16): The IEA's annual check-up: higher prices, tighter controls, falling investment — and a lot of exposure concentrated in very few hands.
- [China blacklists MP Materials and USA Rare Earth](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/china-blacklists-mp-materials-usa-rare-earth) (2026-06-22): Beijing put America's rare-earth champions on its export blacklist. The practical impact is small; the signal is not.
- [Qatar outage sends helium prices soaring](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/qatar-outage-helium-prices-soar) (2026-03-12): Helium is hard to replace in chipmaking and its supply chain is fragile. One gas plant going offline was enough to send prices sharply higher.
- [US launches $12B Project Vault minerals stockpile](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/us-launches-project-vault-minerals-stockpile) (2026-02-02): The US is building a $12 billion commercial stockpile to blunt China's leverage over mineral prices.
- [China suspends Ga/Ge/Sb export ban to the US](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/china-suspends-gallium-germanium-antimony-export-ban-us) (2025-11-09): A pause, not a reversal. China's ban on shipping three key chip metals to the US is on hold until November 27, 2026.
- [USGS finalizes 2025 list: 60 critical minerals](https://critical-minerals.si/signals/usgs-final-2025-critical-minerals-list) (2025-11-06): Copper and silver are officially critical now. The US list grew to 60 minerals, its broadest yet.