Aluminum
Light, conductive and recyclable — used in transmission lines, server chassis, heat sinks and building structures. Made from bauxite (Guinea, Australia).
Heat sinks, server chassis, overhead power lines and data-center structures; high-purity alumina is used in semiconductor substrates and LEDs.
Base-metal prices including aluminium rose about one-third between Jan 2025 and Apr 2026; Middle East exports (≈20% of US supply) were disrupted.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world smelter production (thousand metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Aluminum: key questions
- Where is aluminum mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are China (61%), India (5.7%) and Russia (5.3%) of world smelter production.
- Is aluminum a critical mineral?
- Aluminum appears on 9 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, United Kingdom, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada).
- Is aluminum in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. Base-metal prices including aluminium rose about one-third between Jan 2025 and Apr 2026; Middle East exports (≈20% of US supply) were disrupted.
- Why does aluminum matter for AI infrastructure?
- Heat sinks, server chassis, overhead power lines and data-center structures; high-purity alumina is used in semiconductor substrates and LEDs.
Related minerals
ExplorerCopper
DeficitThe 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.
Silver
WatchThe most electrically conductive element — used in solar cells, electrical contacts, brazing and electronics.
Tin
WatchThe solder that joins every electronic component to every circuit board. Supply comes from China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru and DR Congo.