Cuba was estimated to be the world’s 5th-ranked producer of cobalt
Pictured: cobalt
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Cuba.
Overview
In 2024, Cuba was estimated to be the world’s 5th-ranked producer of cobalt, accounting for 1.1% of global production; and 10th-ranked producer of zeolites, accounting for 1.2% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included bentonite, cement, feldspar, gypsum, kaolin, lead, lime, marble, nickel, salt, raw steel, sulfuric acid, and zinc. The mining and quarrying sector represented only a minor part of the economy of Cuba contributing about 1.0% to Cuba’s gross domestic product.
The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Cuba is provided by Ley de Minas [Mining law] (law No. 76 of 1994). The Ministerio de Energía y Minas [Ministry of Energy and Mines] oversees the mineral sector and is responsible for establishing Government policies for the energy and mining sectors. Most mineral commodities were produced by Government-owned companies and joint ventures with the Government. Moa Nickel S.A., which was a joint venture between the Government and Sherritt International Corp. of Canada (Sherritt) (50% each) continued to mine laterite ore by open pit methods and to process it into mixed sulfide precipitate (MSP) that contains nickel and cobalt at its facilities in Holguin Province. In 2024, Sherritt’s total reported production of refined nickel and cobalt from imported MSP from Cuba was 30,331 t and 3,206 t, respectively.
In 2024, Cuba was estimated to be the world’s 5th-ranked producer of cobalt, accounting for 1.1% of global production, and 10th-ranked producer of zeolites, accounting for 1.2% of global production. Other mineral commodities produced in the country included bentonite, cement, feldspar, gypsum, kaolin, lead, lime, marble, nickel, sand, raw steel, sulfuric acid, and zinc. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). The mining and quarrying sector represented only a minor part of the economy of Cuba contributing about 1.0% to Cuba’s gross domestic product (Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información, 2025; Ewing, 2026; Merrill, 2026).
The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Cuba is provided by Ley de Minas [Mining law] (law No. 76 of 1994). The Ministerio de Energía y Minas [Ministry of Energy and Mines] oversees the mineral sector and is responsible for establishing Government policies for the energy and mining sectors. Most mineral commodities were produced by Government-owned companies and joint ventures with the Government. The Facilities table (formerly table 2) is a list of major mineral industry facilities. More-extensive coverage of Government policies and programs can be found in previous editions of this chapter in the U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook, volume III, Area Reports —International—Latin America and Canada, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/north… (Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba, 2014).
Commodity Review
Cobalt and Nickel.—Moa Nickel S.A., which was a joint venture between the Government and Sherritt International Corp. of Canada (Sherritt) (50% each) continued to mine laterite ore by open pit methods and to process it into mixed sulfide precipitate (MSP) that contains nickel and cobalt at its facilities in Holguin Province. The MSP was transported by ocean freight to Canada and then by rail to Sherritt’s refining facilities in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada, to produce cobalt and nickel. Moa Nickel’s mined ore came from the Camarioca Norte, Camarioca Sur, Cantarrana, La Delta, Moa Occidental, Moa Oriental, Playa la Vaca-Zona Septentrional II, Santa Teresita, and Yagrumaje Oeste mining concessions. As of December 31, total proven and probable mineral reserves at Moa Nickel were reported to be 112.0 million metric tons at average grades of 1.01% nickel and 0.12% cobalt. Sherritt reported that Moa Nickel’s mine life was estimated to be about 25 years. In 2024, Sherritt’s total reported production of refined nickel and cobalt from imported MSP from Cuba was 30,331 t and 3,206 t, respectively. The company also reported that it planned to produce between 31,000 and 33,000 t of refined nickel and between 3,300 and 3,600 t of cobalt from imported MSP from Moa Nickel in 2025 (Sherritt International Corp., 2025a, p. 3, 21–22; 2025b, p. 30).
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abrasives, volcanic ash | 38,800 | 17,900 | 17,300 | 20,700 | 3,500 |
| Bentonite | 486 | 517 | 290 | 269 | 121 |
| Cement, hydraulic | 1,015,100 | 817,100 | 680,000 | 520,200 | 257,800 |
| Cobalt, mine, Co content | 3,800e | 3,800e | 3,700e | 3,300e | 3,450e |
| Feldspar | 14,100 | 17,800 | 5,900 | 17,300 | 5,000 |
| Gypsum, crude | 62,300 | 53,200 | 33,000 | 37,400 | 33,500 |
| Kaolin | 2,000 | 1,400 | 500 | 1,500 | 600 |
| Lead, mine, Pb content | 34,000e | 29,000e | 33,000e | 35,000e | 30,000e |
| Lime | 36,900e | 29,500e | 21,600e | 15,700e | 11,900e |
| Nickel, intermediate, nickel cobalt sulfide, Ni content | 34,800e | 34,400e | 35,200e | 30,000e | 32,000e |
| Nickel, mine, ore, laterite, Ni content | 49,600 | 47,000e | 46,000e | 40,700 | 44,000e |
| Raw steel | 185,000e | 231,000e | 200,415e | 175,000e | 175,000e |
| Salt | 226,000 | 204,600 | 196,000 | 87,900 | 114,900 |
| Sand and gravel, construction, sand, calcareous | 3,300,0001 | 1,800,0001 | 1,200,0001 | 1,100,0001 | 749,0001 |
| Sand and gravel, industrial, unspecified | 22,500 | 14,600 | 6,900 | 10,100 | 3,900 |
| Stone, crushed, limestone | 500,000 | 400,000 | 0 | 0e | 0 |
| Stone, crushed, unspecified | 6,000,0001 | 4,500,0001 | 3,000,0001 | 3,000,0001 | 2,000,0001 |
| Stone, size and shape unspecified, marble | 18,0001 | 21,0001 | 7,0001 | 21,0001 | 22,0001 |
| Sulfur, compounds, sulfuric acid | 951,700 | 852,900 | 884,400 | 795,200 | 882,000 |
| Zeolites | 103,300 | 83,400 | 77,500 | 67,800 | 14,900 |
| Zinc, mine, Zn content | 60,000e | 45,000e | 52,000e | 66,000e | 50,000e |
References Cited
- Ewing, S.M., 2026, Cobalt: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 70–71.
- Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba, 2014, Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba—Ministerio de Justicia [Official Gazette of the Republic of Cuba—Ministry of Justice]: Havana, Cuba, Gaceta Oficial de la República de Cuba, 21 p. (Accessed June 22, 2026, at https://www.minem.gob.cu/sites/default/files/documentos/ley-76-94_ley_d….) [In Spanish.]
- Merrill, A.M., 2026, Zeolites (natural): U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 210–211.
- Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información, 2025a, Anuario estadístico de Cuba 2024—Cuentas Nacionales—Edición 2025 [Statistical yearbook of Cuba 2024—National accounts—2025 edition]: Havana, Cuba, Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información, 21 p. (Accessed November 14, 2025, at https://www.onei.gob.cu/sites/default/files/publicaciones/2025-09/05-cu….) [In Spanish.]
- Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información, 2025, Anuario estadístico de Cuba 2024—Mineria y Energía—Edición 2025 [Statistical yearbook of Cuba 2024—Mining and Energy—2025 edition]: Havana, Cuba, Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información, 21 p. (Accessed November 14, 2025, at https://www.onei.gob.cu/sites/default/files/publicaciones/2025-07/10-mi….) [In Spanish.]
- Sherritt International Corp., 2025a, 2025 Financial results: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sherritt International Corp., March 24, 126 p. (Accessed November 25, 2025, at https://sherritt.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/2025-Annual-Report-FINA….)
- Sherritt International Corp., 2025b, 2024 financial results: Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Sherritt International Corp., April., 139 p. (Accessed November 18, 2025, https://sherritt.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Sherritt-Intl_ANNUAL-RE….)
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