What the data shows
Production is how much a country produces. A country’s share is its part of the world total. The table uses estimated 2025 production figures. The separate import column is about US use of metal, not the whole world.
Metal supply concentration by country and import reliance.
Where does the world’s metal come from? This table shows how much comes from leading producer countries. It also shows how much the United States depends on metal brought in from abroad.
From a mine to a supply question.
The table combines two views: where metal is produced and how much the United States relies on imports.
Mine production
Countries produce different shares of world supply.
Production share
A bigger share means more supply comes from one place.
US import reliance
This asks how much US use depends on other countries.
Possible weak spot
High numbers are clues to investigate, not a shortage forecast.
What this page helps you understand.
Read it in three steps
- Pick a metal and find its largest producer.
- Read “Top country” and “Top 3 mapped” to see how much comes from those countries.
- Read US import reliance and its “Basis” together.
“Refined” means processed metal. That is not the same thing as ore dug from a mine.
A simple example
If one country produces 40 out of every 100 tonnes, its share is 40%. If the listed top three produce 70 tonnes together, their share is 70%. A problem in those countries could affect supply, but these shares alone cannot predict a shortage.
| Metal | Largest producer | Top country | Top 3 mapped | US import reliance | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | China | 11.5% | 29.4% | Not calculated | not calculated by USGS |
| Silver | Mexico | 24.2% | 51.2% | 77% | metal |
| Platinum | South Africa | 70.6% | 92.9% | 89% | metal |
| Palladium | Russia | 44.2% | 89.5% | 57% | metal |
| Copper | Chile | 23.0% | 48.7% | 57% | refined |
| Aluminium | China | 60.8% | 71.8% | 60% | metal |
| Nickel | Indonesia | 66.7% | 78.7% | 41% | metal |
| Zinc | China | 31.5% | 51.5% | 73% | refined |
| Lead | China | 42.2% | 59.3% | 33% | refined |
| Tin | China | 24.5% | 56.9% | 77% | refined |
Do not mix the two questions. The production columns ask where metal is mined in the world. The import column asks how much the United States relies on other countries. It may describe processed metal instead of metal straight from a mine.
How this table can help.
Find possible weak spots
If a few countries make most of a metal, storms, wars, strikes or new trade rules in those places may matter more. The table shows where you may want to look more closely.
Understand US imports
The import number helps show how much US use depends on supply from other countries. Always read the “Basis” column because mine material and processed metal are different things.
Know what is missing
The table does not count stored metal, recycling, shipping routes, supplier contracts or how easily another material can be used instead. It is a first clue, not a full risk score.
How this connects to other prices.
Each metal page shows where its supply comes from in more detail, including gold, platinum, palladium, copper and nickel. To explain one result to someone else, build a metal supply story.
How to read the results.
What does concentration mean?
It means a large share of supply comes from a small number of places. “Top 3 mapped” adds the shares of the three leading countries listed in the site’s production data. It is not a score for the chance of a supply failure.
What is net import reliance?
It estimates how much US use depends on supply from abroad after exports and stock changes are taken into account. A value of 60% means roughly 60 out of every 100 units used depend on net imports. It does not mean 60% comes from the largest producer.
What else matters?
Stored supplies, recycling, transport routes and alternative materials also matter. “Not calculated” means there is no figure here, not zero dependence. Use this table as a first look, then check the source and the material definition.
Where the data comes from.
These links lead to the organisations or methods behind the numbers. New figures appear here after they are published and added to this site. A missing value means data is unavailable, not that the price or supply is zero.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 2025 estimated production and US net import reliance.