Arsenic (As): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Arsenic is recovered mainly as arsenic trioxide, and Peru, China and Morocco produce more than 95% of it. In 2025 Peru produced an estimated 30,000 t, 49% of world refinery production (USGS world total: 61,000 t), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for arsenic in 2025 was 100%. Arsenic is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists.
49%
of world refinery production came from Peru in 2025
$1.85/lb
arsenic metal, annual average, US warehouse in 2025 (-6% on 2024)
Which countries produce arsenic?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | 31,000 | 30,000 | 49% |
| China | 24,000 | 24,000 | 39% |
| Morocco | 6,000 | 5,000 | 8.2% |
| Belgium | 1,000 | 1,000 | 1.6% |
| Russia | 500 | 500 | 0.8% |
| United States | None | None | - |
| All other countries | 40 | 0 | - |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 62,500 | 61,000 | 100% |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic. Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data.
What is arsenic used for?
- Herbicides, insecticides and wood preservatives: more than 80% of US use, mostly arsenic acid for chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservatives
- Gallium arsenide and related semiconductors: high-purity (99.9999%) arsenic metal for solar cells, space research and telecommunications, and for indium-gallium-arsenide in shortwave infrared technology
- Optical materials: germanium-arsenide-selenide specialty optical materials
- Metallurgy: antifriction additive for bearings, hardener for lead shot and wheel weights, and strengthener for lead-acid battery grids
How much does arsenic cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of arsenic at $1.85/lb (arsenic metal, annual average, US warehouse; -6% on 2024). Full arsenic price page.
Is arsenic a critical mineral?
Arsenic is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Not listed |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for arsenic?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Wood preservatives (CCA) | Alkaline copper quaternary, ammoniacal copper quaternary, ammoniacal copper zinc arsenate, boron-based preservatives, copper azole, copper citrate and copper naphthenate |
| Treated wood | Concrete, plastic composite material, plasticized wood scrap or steel |
| GaAs power amplifiers in handsets | Silicon-based complementary metal-oxide semiconductor amplifiers, and gallium nitride devices |
| Defense integrated circuits | No effective substitutes exist for gallium arsenide |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can arsenic be recycled?
Arsenic metal is contained in new scrap recycled during gallium arsenide semiconductor manufacturing, and arsenic-containing process water is recycled inside wood treatment plants. USGS reports that no arsenic was recovered from scrap electronic circuit boards or from smelter residues and dusts in the United States.
What are the supply risks and recent events for arsenic?
- 2025. Peru, China and Morocco, in descending order of production, were the leading producers of arsenic trioxide with more than 95% of estimated world production. China supplied more than 80% of US arsenic trioxide imports and more than 90% of arsenic metal imports through July 2025.
- 2025. Malaysia supplied almost all the arsenic acid imported into the United States through July 2025. Arsenic trioxide and primary arsenic metal have not been produced in the United States since 1985.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. All forms of arsenic: China, 45%; Malaysia, 30%; Morocco, 16%; and other, 9%. (USGS)
Resources. Arsenic may be obtained from copper, gold and lead smelter flue dust and by roasting arsenopyrite, the most abundant arsenic ore mineral. World reserve data were unavailable but USGS estimates them at more than 20 times world production.
Which companies produce or process arsenic?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managem | Morocco (Bou Azzer cobalt mine) | Operator of the Bou Azzer mine, the source of Morocco's arsenic | USGS's 2021 Minerals Yearbook, citing Managem's annual financial report, says Morocco's arsenic came from the Bou Azzer cobalt mine, which produced 6,883 tonnes of arsenic in 2021, down 11%. USGS's 2026 summary ranks Morocco third among arsenic trioxide producers after Peru and China, and neither text names a company in Peru or China. USGS Minerals Yearbook 2021: Arsenic (advance release, April 2025) USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic |
| AXT | United States (production in China) | Wafer maker whose raw material companies list arsenic among their products (Nasdaq: AXTI) | Its 2025 10-K says its raw material companies in China produce materials including arsenic, together with gallium and germanium, for its gallium arsenide and other compound semiconductor substrates. It gives no arsenic volume. AXT Inc., Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 17 March 2026) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is arsenic used for?
Arsenic is used in herbicides, insecticides and wood preservatives, gallium arsenide and related semiconductors and optical materials. Herbicides, insecticides and wood preservatives: more than 80% of US use, mostly arsenic acid for chromated copper arsenate (CCA) preservatives.
Which country produces the most arsenic?
Peru produces the most arsenic: an estimated 30,000 t, or 49% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS refinery production figures.
Is arsenic a critical mineral?
Yes. Arsenic is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists. Arsenic was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for arsenic in 2025 was 100%.
How much does arsenic cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of arsenic at $1.85/lb (arsenic metal, annual average, US warehouse; -6% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 14, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- USGS Minerals Yearbook 2021: Arsenic (advance release, April 2025)
- AXT Inc., Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 17 March 2026)
