Bolivia Critical Minerals
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USGS puts Bolivia's lithium resources at 23 million tonnes, third after the United States (30 million) and Argentina (28 million), but lists no Bolivian lithium production in its 2026 table. Bolivian law bars foreign companies from extracting lithium and requires them to work with the state company Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB), and contracts with Russia's Uranium One and China's CBC for the Salar de Uyuni had not been approved by the legislature as of August 2026, according to Foreign Policy. Bolivia's output is in tin (15,000 t), silver (1,500 t) and antimony (5,000 t).
23 Mt
of lithium resources in Bolivia, according to USGS, which lists no Bolivian lithium production
5.2%
of world tin mine production came from Bolivia in 2025, down from 21,200 t in 2024
4.5%
of world antimony mine production came from Bolivia in 2025, the fourth largest share
2 contracts
with Chinese and Russian companies for the Salar de Uyuni, not yet approved by Bolivia's legislature as of August 2026
Source: Foreign Policy
What does Bolivia produce, according to USGS?
The table shows where Bolivia ranks in USGS estimates of 2025 world production. Bolivia is a tin, silver, zinc and antimony producer, and a lithium resource holder.
| Mineral | 2025 production (USGS estimate) | Share of world | Rank | Reserves (share of world) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | 1,500 t of silver content | 5.8% | 4 of 14 | 22,000 t (3.6%) |
| Tin | 15,000 t of tin content | 5.2% | 6 of 15 | 400,000 t |
| Antimony | 5,000 t of antimony content | 4.5% | 4 of 17 | 310,000 t |
| Zinc | 500 kt of zinc content | 3.8% | 7 of 10 | not reported |
| Lead | 100 kt of lead content | 2.2% | 8 of 12 | 1,600 kt (1.7%) |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 chapters. Shares are calculated by this site from the USGS country figure and the larger of the USGS world total and the sum of the country figures, because USGS rounds the world total. Units differ by row. Rank is among the countries named in each USGS table.
What is the status of Bolivian lithium?
Bolivia's lithium depends on law and contracts rather than production. The table gives the items that could be verified.
| Item | What it says | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal framework | Bolivian law from the MAS era bars foreign companies from extracting lithium and requires them to work with the state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (YLB); changing it requires amending the 2009 constitution, which needs two-thirds support in the Legislative Assembly | August 2026 report | Foreign Policy |
| Uranium One and CBC contracts | Contracts with Russia's Uranium One and China's CBC, a CATL subsidiary, have not been approved by the legislature; the projects have not conducted environmental impact assessments that Bolivian law requires | August 2026 report | Foreign Policy |
| Government stance | The energy minister said in January 2026 that no lithium deals will be cancelled and that the government will find a way to move forward within the signed contracts; a separate lithium law was being drafted and had not been approved by Congress | 16 to 19 January 2026 | Engineering News (Reuters) |
| USGS lithium resources | Measured and indicated resources: United States 30 million tonnes; Argentina 28 million; Bolivia 23 million; Chile 13 million; Australia 10 million | February 2026 | USGS |
The contract values were not stated in the reports read for this page.
Why has Bolivia not produced lithium at scale?
The sources point to law, contracts and technology. The state-only extraction rule excludes foreign operators except as partners to YLB, the main contracts are unapproved, and President Rodrigo Paz is expected to renegotiate them rather than cancel them, according to Foreign Policy. The Argentina profile shows a neighbouring country that has opened lithium to private operators.
What does Bolivia export today?
Bolivia's USGS-recorded output is metals: tin fell to 15,000 t in 2025 from 21,200 tonnes in 2024, silver is 1,500 t (5.8%) and antimony 5,000 t. USGS also lists Bolivia as a boron producer through ulexite, and as the source of 6% of US boron imports in 2021 to 2024. See the tin page and the antimony page.
Frequently asked questions
How much lithium does Bolivia have?
USGS lists 23 million tonnes of lithium resources in Bolivia, third after the United States (30 million) and Argentina (28 million), but it lists no Bolivian lithium production in its 2026 table.
Can foreign companies extract lithium in Bolivia?
Bolivian law bars foreign companies from extracting lithium and requires them to work with the state company YLB, and changing the rule requires amending the 2009 constitution with two-thirds support.
What happened to the lithium contracts with Chinese and Russian firms?
Contracts with Uranium One and CBC for the Salar de Uyuni had not been approved by Bolivia's legislature as of August 2026, and the energy minister said in January 2026 that no lithium deals would be cancelled.
What does Bolivia produce?
USGS records Bolivian tin (15,000 t), silver (1,500 t), antimony (5,000 t) and zinc, and boron as ulexite.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Lithium
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Tin
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Antimony
- Foreign Policy: Bolivia, Paz, lithium and the economic crisis (20 August 2026)
- Engineering News (Reuters): Bolivia pledges to honor energy, lithium deals (19 January 2026)
