Magnesium (Mg): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Magnesium metal is a lightweight structural metal used mostly in castings for the automotive industry and in aluminum alloys. In 2025 China produced an estimated 950 kt, 86% of world smelter production (USGS world total: 1,100 kt), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for magnesium in 2025 was more than 75%. Magnesium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
86%
of world smelter production came from China in 2025
$3.20/lb
US spot Western, annual average in 2025 (-9% on 2024)
Which countries produce magnesium?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 953 | 950 | 86% |
| Russia | 59 | 60 | 5.5% |
| Brazil | 20 | 20 | 1.8% |
| Israel | 17 | 20 | 1.8% |
| Turkey | 15 | 15 | 1.4% |
| Kazakhstan | 15 | 13 | 1.2% |
| Iran | 5 | 5 | 0.5% |
| United States | None | None | - |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 1,080 | 1,100 | 100% |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Magnesium metal. 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.
How is magnesium mined and processed?
The only US primary magnesium smelter, in Utah, recovered magnesium from Great Salt Lake brines by an electrolytic process. Production stopped in 2022 and the operator filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September 2025. Full page on how magnesium is mined and processed.
What is magnesium used for?
For secondary magnesium, about 58% was used in aluminum alloys and about 42% for structural uses.
- Castings, principally for the automotive industry: 69% of US primary magnesium consumption in 2025
- Aluminum-base alloys: 15%, used for packaging, transportation and other applications
- Desulfurization of iron and steel: 9%
- All other uses: 7%
How much does magnesium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US spot Western, annual average | dollars per pound | 3.53 | 7.59 | 4.98 | 3.52 | 3.20 |
| European free market, annual average | dollars per metric ton | 5,011 | 5,206 | 3,240 | 2,850 | 2,500 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Magnesium metal. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
Is magnesium a critical mineral?
Magnesium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. 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 and strategic |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for magnesium materials since 2024 (USGS Table 4).
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for magnesium?
USGS names substitutes for 2 applications of magnesium, for example castings and wrought products: aluminum and zinc; magnesium is lighter, but its high cost is a disadvantage. Full magnesium substitutes page.
Can magnesium be recycled?
About 26,000 tons of secondary magnesium was recovered from old scrap and 82,000 tons from new scrap in 2025. Aluminum-base alloys took about 53% of it and magnesium-based castings, ingot and other materials about 47%.
What are the supply risks and recent events for magnesium?
- September 2025. The operator of the only US primary magnesium smelter, in Utah, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Primary production there fell sharply in September 2021 after equipment failures and stopped in 2022.
- July to December 2025. A California company developing a magnesium-from-brine pilot plant, which won $19.6 million in Defense Production Act Title III financing in February 2024, produced a sample that met the purity target on a pilot scale. In December it announced plans for a commercial phase 1 plant in southwestern Arkansas.
- 2025. US imports of magnesium metal (99.8% purity) fell 27% through August while imports of alloys rose 37% and of waste and scrap 48%. European prices were 13% lower on an annual-average basis than in 2024, which USGS attributed to maintenance closures and lower producer inventories in China.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Magnesium metal (99.8% purity): Israel, 47%; Turkey, 31%; Russia, 8%; China, 6%; and other, 8%. (USGS)
Which magnesium projects are on official lists?
| Project | Country | Promoter | Stage | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM4Defence | Italy, Poland, United Kingdom and France | Leonardo S.p.A. | Recycling | EU, October 2026 |
| Verde Magnesium | Romania | Verde Magnesium SRL | Extraction | EU, March 2025 |
| Verde Magnesium Industries | Romania | Verde Magnesium Industries SRL | Processing | EU, October 2026 |
Source: annexes to Commission Decisions C(2025) 1904, C(2025) 3491 and C(2026) 8051. The Commission calls every listed project ongoing; that is not the same as operating. A project is listed here for each material the annex names for it.
Which companies produce or process magnesium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baowu Magnesium Technology | China | Primary magnesium and magnesium alloy producer (SZSE: 002182) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, describes a chain from mine to primary magnesium to alloy using the vertical retort process, with three primary magnesium bases, and says its alloy output and sales have led the world for several years, which is its own claim. It quotes the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association for domestic primary magnesium output of 1.0935 million tonnes in 2025 (up 6.6%) and alloy output of 428,400 tonnes (up 8.0%). Baowu Magnesium Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (29 April 2026) |
| TETRA Technologies and Magrathea Metals | United States (Arkansas) | Joint venture planned to make magnesium metal by electrolysis (NYSE: TTI) | Their 2 December 2025 release announced a term sheet for a joint venture to rebuild the US magnesium metal industrial base at TETRA's Evergreen Project, a bromine plant being built near Stamps, Arkansas that is planned to begin operations by the end of 2027. It says Magrathea has already secured Defense Production Act Title III funding from the Department of War for its commercial phase 1, without an amount, and gives no magnesium capacity or start date. TETRA Technologies and Magrathea Metals: magnesium joint venture term sheet (2 December 2025) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is magnesium used for?
Magnesium is used in castings, principally for the automotive industry, aluminum-base alloys and desulfurization of iron and steel. Castings, principally for the automotive industry: 69% of US primary magnesium consumption in 2025.
Which country produces the most magnesium?
China produces the most magnesium: an estimated 950 kt, or 86% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS smelter production figures.
Is magnesium a critical mineral?
Yes. Magnesium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Magnesium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for magnesium in 2025 was more than 75%.
How much does magnesium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of magnesium at $3.20/lb (US spot Western, annual average; -9% 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: Magnesium metal. 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
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- 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
- Baowu Magnesium Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (29 April 2026)
- TETRA Technologies and Magrathea Metals: magnesium joint venture term sheet (2 December 2025)
Related topics
How Magnesium is mined and refined
The mining and processing page for magnesium.
Magnesium substitutes
The substitutes page for magnesium.
China profile
Production, policy and projects in China.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Export Controls and Restrictions
China, Indonesia, DR Congo and other measures with dates.
Aluminum
Profile of aluminum.
