Fluorspar
The source of fluorine for hydrofluoric acid, refrigerants, battery electrolytes and fluoropolymers. China mines ~60%.
Ultra-pure fluorine chemicals etch and clean wafers in every fab; fluorinated fluids and refrigerants cool data centers; LiPF6 battery electrolyte.
China ~60% of mine output; US is 100% import reliant.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world mine production (thousand metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Where the reserves are
Share of known economic reserves (thousand metric tons). World total: 330M t. ≈ 33 years at 2025 output.
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.
Fluorspar: key questions
- Where is fluorspar mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are China (60%), Mexico (15%) and Mongolia (15%) of world mine production.
- Is fluorspar a critical mineral?
- Fluorspar appears on 7 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United States (DOE), European Union, China, Japan, Australia, Canada).
- Is fluorspar in short supply?
- Our supply status: Watch. China ~60% of mine output; US is 100% import reliant.
- Why does fluorspar matter for AI infrastructure?
- Ultra-pure fluorine chemicals etch and clean wafers in every fab; fluorinated fluids and refrigerants cool data centers; LiPF6 battery electrolyte.
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