Hafnium Supply Chain: Producers and Processing

Hafnium is produced from zirconium chemical intermediates, and its leading use is in superalloys. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for hafnium. Hafnium is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists.

Which countries produce hafnium?

USGS says world primary hafnium production data and quantitative estimates of hafnium reserves were not available. The leading global exporters of unwrought hafnium were China and Germany. In the United States, hafnium metal is produced from zirconium chemical intermediates by one producer in Oregon and one in Utah.

How is hafnium traded and what limits supply?

• 2025. US exports of unwrought hafnium decreased while imports increased. US imports of unwrought hafnium were 72 tons and wrought hafnium 12 tons in the salient statistics, against 64 tons and 13 tons in 2024.

US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Unwrought hafnium: Germany, 54%; China, 21%; France, 12%; United Kingdom, 8%; and other, 5%. Wrought hafnium: Germany, 68%; China, 14%; France, 9%; Italy, 7%; and other, 2%. (USGS)

Resources. World resources of hafnium are associated with those of zircon and baddeleyite. Quantitative estimates of hafnium resources were not available.

Frequently asked questions

Where is hafnium produced?

USGS says world primary hafnium production data and quantitative estimates of hafnium reserves were not available. The leading global exporters of unwrought hafnium were China and Germany.

What is hafnium used for?

Hafnium is used in superalloys and nuclear reactor control rods. Superalloys: the leading use of hafnium metal.

Is hafnium a critical mineral?

Yes. Hafnium is on the US, EU and Australian critical minerals lists. Hafnium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for hafnium.

Can hafnium be recycled?

USGS says hafnium metal recycling was minimal.

Sources

Read on October 14, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.

1. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Zirconium and hafnium. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
2. Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
3. EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
4. Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
5. Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
6. EarthRarest price list. Dealer list price, read October 14, 2026; our sister business
7. ATI Inc., Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 20 February 2026)
8. Westinghouse Electric Company: ISO 9001 certificate of approval (issued 13 March 2024, expires 30 November 2026)
9. Nuclear Engineering International: "Framatome strengthens hafnium production" (5 December 2023), a trade press report of Framatome's investment