Rare earths in the semiconductor supply chain
Rare earths is a semiconductor-critical mineral. In USGS data for 2024, China was the largest producer at 270,000 t (~69% of world mine production) of a world total of 390,000 metric tons (mine production, REO content, 2024); the next producers were United States, Burma (Myanmar) and Australia. US net import reliance is 80% (compounds and metals, 2024).
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, data year 2024 · figures rendered verbatim from USGS, no percentage imputed where USGS publishes only tonnage
- World production (2024)
- 390,000 metric tons (mine production, REO content, 2024)
- Largest producer
- China — 270,000 t (~69% of world mine production)
- US net import reliance
- 80% (compounds and metals, 2024)
Who produces Rare earths
| Producer | Share or amount (2024) |
|---|---|
| China | 270,000 t (~69% of world mine production) |
| United States | 45,000 t |
| Burma (Myanmar) | 31,000 t |
| Australia | 13,000 t |
| Thailand | 13,000 t |
| Nigeria | 13,000 t |
Source: https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-rare-earths.pdf
Why it matters downstream
Rare earths sits at the top of the value chain. Materials suppliers consume it first, and every fab, packaging house and device maker below them depends on that supply holding. A producer holding most of world output is the same single-source shape wafergraph flags at the company level.
Cite as: wafergraph, “Rare earths supply chain for semiconductors — producers, world output & US import reliance (2024)”, https://wafergraph.com/mineral/rare-earths/ (data as of USGS 2024).
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