2025 USGS Critical Minerals List
The most current U.S. Geological Survey critical minerals list, featuring 50 mineral commodities deemed essential to national security and the economy. Published in the Federal Register following extensive quantitative analysis and public review.
The Complete 2025 List
The 2025 USGS critical minerals list represents the most comprehensive assessment of mineral criticality ever conducted by the United States government. Building on the methodological foundations established in 2018, refined in 2022, and further enhanced with new data models, the 2025 list includes 50 mineral commodities spanning energy minerals, technology metals, and defense-essential materials.
| Mineral | Primary Uses | Top Producer |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminum (bauxite) | Aerospace, packaging, transportation | Australia |
| Antimony | Flame retardants, ammunition, batteries | China |
| Arsenic | Semiconductors, wood preservatives | China |
| Barite | Oil and gas drilling fluids | China |
| Beryllium | Aerospace alloys, defense electronics | United States |
| Bismuth | Pharmaceuticals, lead-free alloys | China |
| Cerium (REE) | Catalytic converters, glass polishing | China |
| Cesium | Atomic clocks, oil drilling | Canada |
| Chromium | Stainless steel, superalloys | South Africa |
| Cobalt | Batteries, superalloys, catalysts | DRC |
| Dysprosium (REE) | Permanent magnets, nuclear reactors | China |
| Erbium (REE) | Fiber optics, nuclear applications | China |
| Europium (REE) | Phosphors, nuclear control rods | China |
| Fluorspar | Steelmaking, aluminum smelting, HF production | China |
| Gadolinium (REE) | MRI contrast agents, nuclear shielding | China |
| Gallium | Semiconductors, LEDs, 5G technology | China |
| Germanium | Fiber optics, infrared optics, solar cells | China |
| Graphite (natural) | Batteries, lubricants, refractories | China |
| Hafnium | Nuclear reactors, superalloys | France |
| Indium | Touchscreens, solar cells, solders | China |
| Iridium (PGM) | Spark plugs, crucibles, electrolyzers | South Africa |
| Lanthanum (REE) | Hybrid batteries, catalysts, optics | China |
| Lithium | EV batteries, ceramics, pharmaceuticals | Australia |
| Magnesium | Lightweight alloys, steelmaking | China |
| Manganese | Steel production, batteries | South Africa |
| Neodymium (REE) | Permanent magnets, lasers | China |
| Nickel | Stainless steel, EV batteries | Indonesia |
| Niobium | High-strength steel alloys, superconductors | Brazil |
| Palladium (PGM) | Catalytic converters, electronics, hydrogen | Russia |
| Platinum (PGM) | Catalytic converters, fuel cells, jewelry | South Africa |
| Praseodymium (REE) | Magnets, aircraft engines, ceramics | China |
| Rhodium (PGM) | Catalytic converters, chemical catalysts | South Africa |
| Rubidium | Research, electronics, GPS | Canada |
| Ruthenium (PGM) | Electronics, chemical catalysis | South Africa |
| Samarium (REE) | Magnets, cancer treatment, nuclear reactors | China |
| Scandium | Aluminum alloys, solid oxide fuel cells | China |
| Tantalum | Capacitors, surgical implants, jet engines | DRC |
| Tellurium | Solar cells, thermoelectrics, alloys | China |
| Terbium (REE) | Permanent magnets, phosphors, sonar | China |
| Tin | Solders, tin plating, chemicals | China |
| Titanium | Aerospace, medical implants, pigments | China |
| Tungsten | Cutting tools, armor-piercing ammunition | China |
| Vanadium | Steel alloys, redox flow batteries | China |
| Ytterbium (REE) | Fiber lasers, metallurgy | China |
| Yttrium (REE) | LEDs, superconductors, ceramics | China |
| Zinc | Galvanizing, alloys, batteries | China |
| Zirconium | Nuclear fuel cladding, ceramics | Australia |
Key Changes from the 2022 List
The 2025 list expands on its 2022 predecessor in several notable ways. The most significant structural change is the inclusion of additional individual rare earth elements listed separately rather than grouped as a single commodity. This granular approach reflects the USGS's recognition that supply risks and end-use applications differ markedly among the various rare earths. Dysprosium and terbium, for example, face far more acute supply constraints than cerium or lanthanum, and separating them allows for more targeted policy responses.
Several minerals saw their criticality scores increase substantially between 2022 and 2025. Gallium and germanium, both subject to Chinese export restrictions announced in mid-2023, experienced sharp supply risk score increases. The restrictions prompted the United States and allied nations to accelerate efforts to develop alternative sources and recycling technologies. Antimony, also targeted by Chinese export controls in late 2024, was similarly reassessed.
Copper, despite its fundamental importance to electrification and the energy transition, remains absent from the 2025 list. The USGS assessment determined that while demand growth is significant, global production remains diverse enough and recycling rates high enough to keep copper below the supply risk threshold. This decision has been debated by industry stakeholders, with some arguing that projected demand growth could push copper into critical territory within the next decade.
Minerals Grouped by Application Sector
Energy Transition and Batteries
The energy transition dominates the 2025 list. Lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, and vanadium are all essential to battery manufacturing for electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage. The United States imports the vast majority of these materials in processed form, primarily from China, which controls over 70% of global lithium-ion battery component refining. Securing domestic and allied-nation supply chains for these minerals is a top priority under the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Semiconductors and Advanced Electronics
Gallium, germanium, indium, and tellurium underpin semiconductor fabrication, fiber optic communications, and next-generation solar cell technologies. China's dominance in gallium and germanium production, combined with its willingness to use export restrictions as a geopolitical tool, has elevated these minerals to the highest priority tier for supply chain diversification. The CHIPS and Science Act includes provisions that reference critical mineral supply security as a prerequisite for semiconductor manufacturing incentives.
Defense and Aerospace
Beryllium, tungsten, tantalum, titanium, chromium, and the platinum group metals are indispensable for defense applications ranging from armor-piercing ammunition to jet engine superalloys to satellite components. The Department of Defense maintains separate assessments of strategic material needs, but the USGS list informs Defense Production Act Title III investments. Tungsten is of particular concern given China's 80% share of global mine production and its critical role in manufacturing armor-penetrating munitions and high-performance tooling.
Rare Earth Elements
The rare earth elements remain the most concentrated and geopolitically sensitive group on the critical minerals list. China controls approximately 60% of global rare earth mining and over 85% of rare earth processing and separation. Neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium are especially critical for the permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and precision-guided munitions. The United States has made significant investments in domestic rare earth production at facilities such as MP Materials' Mountain Pass mine in California, but downstream separation and magnet manufacturing capacity remain heavily concentrated in China.
Policy Implications of the 2025 List
The 2025 list carries immediate policy consequences. Minerals on the list are eligible for accelerated permitting under the FAST-41 process, qualify for loans and grants through the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, and receive priority consideration in free trade agreement negotiations. The Internal Revenue Service references the list when determining eligibility for clean vehicle tax credits under Section 30D of the Internal Revenue Code, which requires that a specified percentage of critical mineral value be sourced from the United States or a free trade agreement partner.
For mining companies and project developers, inclusion on the USGS list can be transformative. Projects targeting listed minerals gain access to federal financing that would otherwise be unavailable, face shorter environmental review timelines, and can market their output as eligible for domestic content requirements. The 2025 list is expected to remain in effect until the next scheduled review, anticipated no later than 2028, though the USGS retains the authority to issue interim updates in response to significant supply disruptions.