Silicon (Si): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Silicon metal and ferrosilicon are made from silica such as quartzite and go into aluminum alloys, silicones, foundries and steel, and polysilicon for semiconductors and solar cells is made from silicon metal. In 2025 China produced an estimated 4,000 kt, 87% of world production (USGS world total: 4,600 kt), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for silicon in 2025 was more than 50%. Silicon is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
130 cents/lb
silicon metal, average in 2025 (-24% on 2024)
Which countries produce silicon?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 4,800 | 4,000 | 87% |
| Brazil | 190 | 180 | 3.9% |
| Norway | 140 | 130 | 2.8% |
| France | 90 | 68 | 1.5% |
| Australia | 47 | 47 | 1% |
| Russia | 59 | 35 | 0.8% |
| Canada | 34 | 34 | 0.7% |
| Iceland | 28 | 16 | 0.3% |
| United States | NA | Withheld | - |
| All other countries | 99 | 80 | 1.7% |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 5,500 | 4,600 | 100% |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silicon. 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 silicon used for?
- Ferrosilicon: consumed mostly in the ferrous foundry and steel industries
- Silicon metal: aluminum alloys and the chemical industry, in particular silicones
- Polysilicon: ultra-high-purity semiconductor- or solar-grade silicon; three US companies produced it in 2025
How much does silicon cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon metal, average | cents per pound of silicon | 220.31 | 361.86 | 179.69 | 170.34 | 130 |
| Ferrosilicon, 75% silicon, average | cents per pound of silicon | 192.28 | 312.10 | 142.23 | 131.96 | 140 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silicon. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
USGS says the January to October 2025 average US price for silicon metal was about 21% below the 2024 average, which it attributed to oversupply, weak demand from the aluminum and silicon industries and available polysilicon stocks. Chinese silicon metal prices in April 2025 were the lowest since November 2016.
Is silicon a critical mineral?
Silicon 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.
What are the substitutes for silicon?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Ferrosilicon | Aluminum, silicon carbide and silicomanganese in some applications |
| Semiconductor and infrared applications | Gallium arsenide and germanium are the principal substitutes for silicon |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silicon. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can silicon be recycled?
USGS rates silicon recycling as insignificant.
What are the supply risks and recent events for silicon?
- 2025. China accounted for almost 80% of global estimated production of silicon materials. US silicon metal imports were an estimated 50% above 2024, which USGS suggests may reflect tariff uncertainty and concern about export restrictions from other countries.
- April 2025. The US International Trade Commission determined that a US industry was materially injured by ferrosilicon imports from Brazil, Kazakhstan and Malaysia and issued countervailing and antidumping duty orders.
- November 2025. Silicon was added to the US Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Total: Brazil, 25%; Canada, 20%; Russia, 18%; Malaysia, 8%; and other, 29%. (USGS)
Resources. World and domestic resources for making silicon metal and alloys are abundant and, in most producing countries, adequate for many decades. The source is silica in natural forms such as quartzite.
Which silicon projects are on official lists?
| Project | Country | Promoter | Stage | List |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9PV-up | Italy | 9-Tech | Recycling | 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 silicon?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoshine Silicon Industry | China | Industrial silicon, silicone and polysilicon producer (SSE: 603260) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, gives industrial silicon production of 1.4547 million tonnes (down 22.27%), external sales of 1.1056 million tonnes and own use of 376,700 tonnes, with industrial silicon capacity of 1.22 million tonnes a year at the end of 2025. It quotes the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association for domestic industrial silicon output of about 4.2 million tonnes and customs data for exports of 720,000 tonnes. Hoshine Silicon Industry: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026) |
| Elkem | Norway (plants in Norway, Iceland, Canada, India, Paraguay and China) | Silicon, ferrosilicon and silicones producer | Its 2025 annual report says Silicon Products sales volumes rose from 422 kilotonnes in 2024 to 434 kilotonnes in 2025, with silicon and ferrosilicon prices on average 22% and 6% lower. It records US countervailing duties on silicon metal imports from Norway and EU safeguard measures on certain ferroalloy imports. Elkem: annual report 2025 |
| Ferroglobe | United Kingdom (plants in the US, France, Spain, Canada, South Africa and elsewhere) | Silicon metal and ferroalloy producer (Nasdaq: GSM) | Its 2025 Form 20-F extracts give silicon metal shipments of 147,112 tonnes in 2025 against 222,762 in 2024 and 194,385 in 2023, silicon metal sales of $430.2 million (2024: $726.7 million), and global silicon metal production capacity of approximately 330,000 tonnes. Ferroglobe: extracts from the 2025 Form 20-F (Exhibit 99.3 to a Form 6-K, 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 silicon used for?
Silicon is used in ferrosilicon, silicon metal and polysilicon. Ferrosilicon: consumed mostly in the ferrous foundry and steel industries.
Which country produces the most silicon?
China produces the most silicon: an estimated 4,000 kt, or 87% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS production figures.
Is silicon a critical mineral?
Yes. Silicon is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. The United States added silicon to its list in November 2025, when the final list grew from 50 to 60 minerals. US net import reliance for silicon in 2025 was more than 50%.
How much does silicon cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of silicon at 130 cents/lb (silicon metal, average; -24% 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: Silicon. 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
- Hoshine Silicon Industry: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026)
- Elkem: annual report 2025
- Ferroglobe: extracts from the 2025 Form 20-F (Exhibit 99.3 to a Form 6-K, 2026)
