Minerals with Net Import Reliance on China

Mineral Commodities with Net Import Reliance on China

USGS collects the Nation’s data on the global production, supply, demand and trade of minerals to inform strategic policy, trade and land-use decisions.

This chart shows the percent of U.S. consumption of each commodity met by imports in 2024, with the estimated percent of consumption met by imports from China averaged over 2020-2023. From 2020-2023, the U.S. imported at least 29 mineral commodities from China.

All data: Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025

The minerals include:

Yttrium (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 93%)

Mica, sheet (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 79%)

Abrasives, aluminum oxide (Total import reliance: 95%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 61%)

Bismuth (Total import reliance: 89%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 60%)

Abrasives, silicon carbide (Total import reliance: 69%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 569%)

Rare Earths (compounds and metals) (Total import reliance: 80%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 56%)

Antimony (Total import reliance: 85%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 54%)

Arsenic (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 52%)

Graphite (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 43%)

Iron Oxide Pigments (Total import reliance: 87%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 38%)

Diamond (grit, dust, powder) (Total import reliance: 47%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 36%)

Magnesium Compounds (Total import reliance: 52%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 32%)

Tantalum (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 22%)

Gallium (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 19%)

Barite (Total import reliance: 75%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 19%)

Mica, scrap and flake (Total import reliance: 41%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 16%)

Tungsten (Total import reliance: 50%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 14%)

Germanium (Total import reliance: 50%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 12%)

Fluorspar (Total import reliance: 100%, Est. consumption met by imports from China: 8%)

Imports from China made up less than 5% of U.S. consumption of: garnet, iron and steel slag, alumnium, perlite, 
bromine and talc. The U.S. also imported cesium, rubidium, scandium and dimension stone from China, but data 
were not available on specific percentages.