Serbia
Serbia ranked eighth in the world in the production of selenium
Pictured: Galena and chalcopyrite (sulfide ores), in which selenium can concentrate
Statistics and information on the mining industry in Serbia.
Overview
In 2024, Serbia ranked eighth in the world in the production of selenium (not including the United States production), accounting for an estimated 1.9% of world production. Other mineral commodities mined and produced in the country were aluminum, cement, copper, gold, pig iron, kaolin, lead, lime, palladium, platinum, salt, sand and gravel, silver, raw steel and steel products, stone, and zinc.
Serbia’s top three main export partners for copper ore and concentrates were China, Finland, and Republic of Korea; refined copper, China, Turkey, and Bulgaria; and manufactured base metals, Germany, Czechia, and France. The country’s three main import partners for aluminum and products were Germany, Greece, and China; and manufactured base metal, Germany, China, and Poland. Serbia’s imports from the United States included aluminum and alumina, copper, iron and steel products, and nonferrous metals. The country’s exports to the United States included bauxite and aluminum, copper, gemstones, iron and steel (advanced), iron and steel mill products, iron and steel products, nonferrous metals, and sulfur.
The Ministry of Mining and Energy through the Department of Geology and Mining oversees all kinds of mining activities, application of mining policy, geologic exploration, and inspection and supervision of the mines. The Chamber of Mining and Geology Engineers of Serbia improves, organizes, and oversees geologic exploration and regulates mining activities and construction of mining facilities. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Serbia is provided by the Law on Mining and Geological Explorations (Official Gazette RS No. 101/2015), which was amended on April 30, 2021; amendments align with regulations of the European Union and with the National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis. Mineral commodities were produced by domestic and joint ventures between domestic and foreign companies. Selenium production increased by an estimated 64% in 2024 to 69,000 kg from 42,000 kg in 2023, owing to an increase in refined copper production and was produced by Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (ZGC) of China through its subsidiary Serbia Zijin Copper DOO.
In 2024, Serbia ranked eighth in the world in the production of selenium production (not including the United States production), accounting for 1.9% of world production. Other mineral commodities mined and produced in the country were aluminum, cement, copper, gold, pig iron, kaolin, lead, lime, palladium, platinum, salt, sand and gravel, silver, raw steel and steel products, stone, and zinc. Data on mineral production are in the Production table (formerly table 1). Serbia’s top three main export destinations for copper ore and concentrates were China, Finland, and Republic of Korea; refined copper, China, Turkey, and Bulgaria; manufactured base metals, Germany, Czechia, and France. The country’s three main import sources for aluminum and products were Germany, Greece, and China; manufactured base metal, Germany, China, and Poland. Serbia’s imports from the United States included aluminum and alumina, copper, iron and steel products, and nonferrous metals. The country’s exports to the United States included bauxite and aluminum, copper, gemstones, iron and steel (advanced), iron and steel mill products, iron and steel products, nonferrous metals, and sulfur (Flanagan, 2026; Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 2025, p. 355, 357, 362; U.S. Census Bureau, 2025).
The Ministry of Mining and Energy through the Department of Geology and Mining oversees all kinds of mining activities, application of mining policy, geologic exploration, and inspection and supervision of the mines. The Chamber of Mining and Geology Engineers of Serbia improves, organizes, and oversees geologic exploration and regulates mining activities and construction of mining facilities. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Serbia is provided by the Law on Mining and Geological Explorations (Official Gazette RS No. 101/15), which was amended on April 30, 2021; amendments align with regulations of the European Union and with the National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis. Mineral commodities were produced by domestic and joint ventures between domestic and foreign companies. 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—Europe and Central Eurasia Region, which are available at https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center/europ… (Milic, 2021; International Energy Agency, 2025; Ministry of Mining and Energy, undated).
Commodity Review
Selenium production increased to 13,980 kilograms (kg) in 2022 from 3,000 kg in 2021, a five-fold increase in 2024, production increased by an estimated 64% to 69,000 kg from 42,000 kg in 2023. The increase in production of selenium was estimated based on refined copper production. Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (ZGC) is the only copper company in Serbia that operates the Bor Copper Complex through its subsidiary Serbia Zijin Copper DOO and Čukaru Peki Mine (upper zone) through its subsidiary Serbia Zijin Mining Co. Besides copper and selenium, the company produced gold, palladium, platinum, and silver in Serbia (Facilities table; Production table; Flanagan, 2026; Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd., 2025a, p. 14, 71; 2025b, c).
Production table
(Metric tons, gross weight, unless otherwise specified)
| Commodity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum, secondary, metal, ingot, including alloys | 61,121 | 81,020 | 51,438 | 58,286 | 31,604 |
| Cement, hydraulic | 2,364,000 | 2,610,185 | 2,624,610 | 2,667,000 | 2,752,000 |
| Copper, mine, concentrates, Cu content | 52,207 | 121,150 | 203,998 | 238,909 | 292,906 |
| Copper, mine, ore | 17,623,000 | 22,936,000 | 32,809,000 | 45,113,000 | 50,597,000 |
| Copper, mine, ore, Cu content | 49,300 | 161,000e | 230,000e | 316,000e | 350,000e |
| Copper, refinery, primary, Cu content | 45,100 | 57,400 | 24,000 | 72,700 | 117,700 |
| Copper, refinery, secondary, Cu content | 1,900 | 900 | 600 | 1,500 | 5,000 |
| Copper, smelter, primary, Cu content | 45,100 | 57,800 | 24,000 | 72,700 | 117,700 |
| Copper, smelter, secondary, Cu content | 800 | 900 | 600 | 1,500 | 5,000 |
| Gold, mine, Au content (kilograms) | 1,550 | 4,800 | 7,290 | 6,944 | 7,949 |
| Gold, refinery (kilograms) | 1,676 | 1,600 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Kaolin | 234,000 | 249,000 | 301,000 | 275,000 | 216,000 |
| Lead, mine, ore, Pb content | 5,400 | 5,400 | 5,400e | 5,500e | 5,500e |
| Lead, refinery, primary and secondary | 14,000 | 15,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 |
| Lime, includes hydraulic lime | 166,093 | 149,827 | 208,708 | 259,328 | 260,000e |
| Palladium, mine, Pd content (kilograms) | 100e | 150e | 190e | 200e | 250e |
| Pig iron | 1,106,600 | 1,185,800 | 1,145,200 | 1,022,400 | 958,700 |
| Platinum, mine, Pt content (kilograms) | 20e | 20e | 15e | 20e | 2e |
| Raw steel | 1,456,000 | 1,667,000 | 1,674,100 | 1,454,000 | 1,393,200 |
| Salt, all sources | 12,853 | 13,459 | 15,269 | 13,255 | 12,054 |
| Sand and gravel, construction, unspecified, excluding glass sand | 7,405,000 | 9,014,000 | 9,674,000 | 9,643,000 | 12,055,000 |
| Sand and gravel, industrial, sand, silica | 306,479 | 333,442 | 349,450 | 350,000e | 334,904 |
| Selenium, Se content (kilograms) | 10,000 | 3,000 | 13,980 | 42,000e | 69,000e |
| Silver, mine, Ag content (kilograms) | 15,900e | 11,600e | 10,900e | 16,051 | 27,069 |
| Silver, refinery, Ag content (kilograms) | 12,000 | 11,500e | 13,000 | 12,000 | 17,000 |
| Steel products, hot-rolled | 1,610,000 | 1,668,936 | 1,540,752 | 1,333,731 | 1,285,986 |
| Stone, crushed, limestone, including gypsum and chalk | 4,234,000 | 4,308,279 | 4,443,887 | 6,116,000 | 5,733,000 |
| Stone, dimension, marble, block, including granite | 381,000e | 387,549 | 413,731 | 414,000e | 414,000e |
| Zinc, mine, Zn content | 6,500 | 6,400 | 6,500e | 6,500e | 6,500e |
References Cited
- Flanagan, D.M., 2026, Selenium: U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, p. 168−169.
- International Energy Agency, 2025, Law on mining and geological explorations: Paris, France, International Energy Agency, June 12. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://www.iea.org/policies/26173-law-on-mining-and-geological-explora….)
- Milic, Jovana, 2021, What do amendments to the Law on mining and geological exploration
- bring?: Budapest, Hungary, CEE Legal Matters, June 25. (Accessed November 1, 2024, at https://ceelegalmatters.com/serbia/17204-what-do-amendments-to-the-law-….)
- Ministry of Mining and Energy, [undated], Jurisdictions: Belgrade, Serbia, Ministry of Mining and Energy. (Accessed January 4, 2024, at https://www.mre.gov.rs/tekst/39/nadleznosti.php.) [In Serbian.]
- Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, 2025, Statistichki godishn’ak [Statistical yearbook]: Belgrade, Serbia, Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, October 19, 487 p. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://publikacije.stat.gov.rs/G2025/PdfE/G20252058.pdf.) [In Serbian.]
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2025, Country and production data—Product details and partner country—Country by 5-digit end-use code, annual totals, 2012–Present: Suitland, Maryland, U.S. Census Bureau. (Accessed August 6, 2025, at https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/country/index.html.)
- Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., 2025a, Annual report 2024: Longyan, Fujian Province, China, Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., April 25, 440 p. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://www.zijinmining.com/upload/file/2025/04/25/3091791b98ac4361a5de….)
- Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., 2025b, Čukaru Peki copper-gold mine: Longyan, Fujian, China, Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://www.zijinmining.com/global/program-detail-71735.htm.)
- Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd., 2025c, Bor copper complex: Longyan, Fujian, China, Zijin Mining (Group) Co., Ltd. (Accessed December 30, 2025, at https://www.zijinmining.com/global/program-detail-71737.htm.)
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