United States · critical minerals · 2021–2025
Critical
supply lines
See how much the United States relied on imports for critical minerals in 2025 and which countries supplied them.
These materials turn up in power lines, fertilizer, phones, vehicles, tools, and many other products. A high import share can matter, but it does not prove that a shortage is likely.
Entries compared34
100% net import reliant8
At least 75% reliant21
Static analysis · no live source request01 · Compare reliance
How much of U.S. use came through net imports in 2025?
Each card shows net import reliance: imports minus exports, with source-specific adjustments, as a share of U.S. consumption. Select a material to carry it through every view.
21 of 34 comparable entries were at least 75% net import reliant in 2025. Signs such as “>50%” are published bounds, not exact values; bound entries are placed at the printed threshold.
02 · Follow five years
How did aluminum move from 2021 to 2025?
The line follows the published net import reliance for the selected material. Move the year control to read one point; the import-source and production views keep their own labeled periods.
Published percentage
Five-year difference−1 percentage point2025 minus 2021
How USGS calculated itDefined as imports – exports ± adjustments for industry stock changes; excludes traded scrap.Definitions vary because material markets differ.
03 · Trace U.S. imports
Where did U.S. imports of aluminum come from?
These shares cover 2021–2024 and the source category “all reported forms.” Select a country to look for it in the production view.
The largest named import source was Canada at 56%. “Other countries” combines sources that USGS did not list separately.
04 · Check production
Where was the related material produced in 2025?
The bars show each country's share of the published world total for aluminum smelter production. This may be a mine, refinery, or smelter measure, as named below.
MeasureAluminum smelter production
Published world total74M metric tons
Do the leaders match?
No—the leading countries differ.
13 of 34 entries had the same leading named import source and leading producer. A country can refine, trade, or re-export material mined somewhere else, so these views should not be treated as a shipment path.
Reader guide
What the terms mean
Open the notes for definitions and the limits that matter when reading the charts.
Net import reliance
Net imports as a percentage of U.S. consumption. USGS usually starts with imports minus exports, then applies adjustments that differ by material.
Critical mineral
A nonfuel material that is essential to U.S. economic or national security, has a supply chain vulnerable to disruption, and serves an essential manufacturing function. This page follows the final 2025 federal list.
Percentage point
The direct difference between two percentages. A move from 60% to 40% is a fall of 20 percentage points.
Mine, refinery, and smelter
A mine extracts material. A refinery or smelter processes it. The production view names the stage available for each selected material.
How to read the source and its limits
The page retains 34 critical-material entries with a complete five-year reliance series, a 2021–2024 import-source table, and a compatible 2025 world-production table. It does not represent all 60 minerals on the final 2025 list.
USGS marks 2025 values as estimates. Printed bounds such as “more than 50%” stay as bounds. Country values and world totals are independently rounded, so displayed shares may not add to exactly 100%.
Net import reliance is not a probability of shortage, a measure of political risk, or a score of overall importance. Import-source shares cover a four-year period, while production uses 2025 estimates. The two views describe different stages and periods.