Turkey Critical Minerals
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Turkey is the largest producer of boron products in the USGS table, with an estimated 1,500 kt of refined borates in 2025, and holds 950 million tonnes of boron reserves (950,000 thousand metric tons in the USGS table). USGS reports that Turkey supplied 90% of United States boron imports in 2021 to 2024. It also ranks second in chromium (9,000 kt, 18% of the world) and in feldspar (5,300 kt, 17%). Turkey is not named in the USGS rare earth table, so claims about large Turkish rare earth reserves rest on national estimates that USGS does not repeat.
90%
of US boron imports in 2021-24 came from Turkey, with Bolivia at 6%
950 Mt
of boron reserves listed for Turkey (950,000 thousand metric tons) in the USGS table
18%
of world chromium mine production came from Turkey in 2025, the second largest share
17%
of world feldspar mine production came from Turkey in 2025, the second largest share
Which critical minerals does Turkey produce?
The table shows where Turkey ranks in USGS estimates of 2025 world production. Boron products are listed by country in USGS without a world total, so no share is calculated.
| Mineral | 2025 production (USGS estimate) | Share of world | Rank | Reserves (share of world) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chromium | 9,000 kt of chromium content | 18% | 2 of 8 | 27,000 kt |
| Feldspar | 5,300 kt | 17% | 2 of 13 | 720,000 kt |
| Barite | 260 kt | 3% | 7 of 11 | 34,000 kt |
| Antimony | 3,000 t of antimony content | 2.7% | 6 of 17 | 99,000 t |
| Boron products (refined borates) | 1,500 kt | n/a | 1 of 9 | 950,000 kt |
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. The boron row is refined borates; USGS gives no world total for boron products.
What do the sources say about Turkey's supply position?
The firm facts come from USGS. The table sets those against the claims that need caution.
| Item | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Boron production and reserves | Refined borates: 1,800 thousand t in 2024 and 1,500 thousand t in 2025; reserves 950,000 thousand t; Turkey supplied 90% of US boron imports in 2021-24 | USGS |
| Boron demand | More than three-quarters of world borate consumption is in ceramics, detergents, fertilizers and glass; USGS notes China has low-grade boron reserves and demand there is expected to rise | USGS |
| Chromium and feldspar | Chromium 9,000 thousand t (17.6% of world); feldspar 5,300 thousand t (17.1%); both second in the USGS tables | USGS chromium, USGS feldspar |
| Rare earths | Turkey is not named in the USGS rare earth production and reserves table; reports of a very large Beylikova ore estimate are national figures that USGS does not list | USGS |
Why is Turkey central to boron supply?
Turkey's boron reserves and production dominate the USGS table: no other country listed reports more than 380 thousand tonnes of production, in any product form. Borates are used mainly in ceramics, detergents, fertilizers and glass, and boron is on the US 2025 critical minerals list, added in the final list after public comment. The boron page gives uses and prices.
Should the Turkish rare earth claims be trusted?
They should be treated as unverified resource claims. A deposit estimate announced by the government is not the same as a USGS reserve, and processing in Turkey has been at pilot scale in reports that this site has not verified against a primary document. The rare earth page sets out which countries have verified production and reserves.
Frequently asked questions
How much of the world's boron comes from Turkey?
USGS gives no world total for boron products, but Turkey's refined borate production of 1,500 thousand tonnes in 2025 is the largest in the table, its reserves are 950,000 thousand tonnes and it supplied 90% of US boron imports in 2021 to 2024.
Where does Turkey rank in chromium?
USGS ranks Turkey second in chromium mine production in 2025, with 9,000 kt or 18% of the world total, after South Africa.
Does Turkey have large rare earth reserves?
Turkey has announced a large rare earth deposit estimate, but Turkey does not appear in the USGS rare earth production and reserves table, so there is no USGS reserve figure for it.
Is boron a critical mineral?
Boron was added to the US critical minerals list in the final 2025 list, published on 7 November 2025, after the draft list proposed other additions.
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
