Critical minerals for semiconductors — the upstream chokepoints
Gallium is the most concentrated semiconductor-critical mineral: China produces ~99% of world output. Of 9 tracked critical minerals, China leads 7.
The raw-material layer at the very top of the semiconductor & AI value chain is where it is most fragile: a handful of countries — often one — supply most of the world's gallium, germanium, rare earths, silicon, and other inputs. A disruption here cascades through every segment downstream. Sorted most → least concentrated.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025 (data year 2024); https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center · production data-year 2024
Critical minerals by concentration
| Mineral | World production (2024) | Top producer & share | Other major producers | US net import reliance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallium ~99% | 760,000 kg (low-purity primary, gallium content) | China — 750,000 kg (~99% of world low-purity primary; export controls since Aug 2023) | Russia (6,000 kg); Japan (3,000 kg); Korea, Rep. of (3,000 kg) | 100% (of reported consumption) | USGS 2024 |
| Silicon (silicon metal) ~85% | 4,600 thousand metric tons (silicon metal, 2024) | China — 3,900 thousand t (~85% of silicon metal) | Brazil (190 thousand t); Norway (120 thousand t); Germany (60 thousand t) | <50% (total silicon); silicon metal <50%, ferrosilicon >50% | USGS 2024 |
| Tungsten ~83% | 81,000 metric tons (mine production, tungsten content, 2024) | China — 67,000 t (~83% of world mine production) | Vietnam (3,400 t); Russia (2,000 t); Bolivia (1,600 t); Rwanda (1,200 t); Australia (1,000 t) | >50% | USGS 2024 |
| Indium ~70% | 1,080 metric tons (refinery production, 2024) | China — 760 t (~70% of world refinery production) | Korea, Rep. of (180 t); Japan (60 t); Canada (35 t); France (21 t); Belgium (10 t) | 100% (of estimated consumption) | USGS 2024 |
| Rare earths (rare-earth oxide equivalent) ~69% | 390,000 metric tons (mine production, REO content, 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) | 80% (compounds and metals, 2024) | USGS 2024 |
| Antimony ~60% | 100,000 metric tons (mine production, antimony content, 2024) | China — 60,000 t (~60%; banned all antimony exports to U.S. Dec 2024) | Tajikistan (17,000 t); Russia (13,000 t); Burma (Myanmar) (4,500 t); Bolivia (3,700 t); Australia (2,000 t) | 85% | USGS 2024 |
| Palladium ~39% | 190,000 kg (palladium mine production, 2024) | Russia — 75,000 kg (~39%) | South Africa (72,000 kg (~38%)); Canada (15,000 kg); Zimbabwe (15,000 kg); United States (8,000 kg) | 36% (palladium, 2024) | USGS 2024 |
| Arsenic (arsenic trioxide) | 58,000 metric tons (arsenic trioxide, gross weight, 2024) | Peru — 27,000 t | China (24,000 t); Morocco (6,000 t); Belgium (1,000 t); Russia (200 t); Japan (40 t) | 100% | USGS 2024 |
| Germanium | Not quantified by USGS (most producers do not report) | China — Leading producer (no share published; export controls since 2023) | Belgium, Canada, Germany, Russia, United States (Other named producers (no amounts published)) | >50% (of estimated consumption) | USGS 2024 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries (each row links to its commodity page). Figures are rendered verbatim from USGS; where only tonnages are published no percentage is imputed. Neon omitted — Industrial gas (not a USGS Mineral Commodity); no USGS figure available..