Charted: America’s Reliance on Foreign Minerals

By Bruno Venditti – Visual Capitalist Elements

In 2024, the United States was 100% import reliant for 11 key mineral commodities. These include essential industrial inputs like natural graphite, manganese, fluorspar, and arsenic. These materials are vital in steelmaking, battery production, and chemical manufacturing.

China remains the leading supplier for many of these resources, particularly rare earth elements, for which the U.S. remains highly dependent.

Currently, 80% of America’s rare earth element imports come from China. The Asian country mines about 70% of the world’s rare earths and has a virtual monopoly on refining and processing.