Critical Minerals Analysis
China dominates global critical mineral refinement, controlling approximately 70% of rare earth processing and significant shares of other semiconductor-essential materials.
Key Metrics
Mining Share (%) = (Country mine production / Global mine production) × 100
Refining Share (%) = (Country refined output / Global refined output) × 100
What matters in this layer
AI hardware pulls demand from a narrow set of inputs: rare earth elements for magnets, gallium and germanium for compound semiconductors, cobalt and lithium for storage and power systems, and high-purity copper and aluminum for electrical and thermal management.
Processing and separation steps concentrate in a small number of jurisdictions. This makes export controls and permitting delays systemically important.
Semiconductor-grade materials require stringent purity and consistency. The constraint is often qualification and process integration, not only tonnage.
Critical minerals explorer
Hover or click an element to see why it matters for AI, and the split between mining and refining.
China Dominates Rare Earth Processing
China controls approximately 70% of global rare earth element processing capacity, creating a critical dependency for advanced semiconductor and AI hardware manufacturing.
US Announces Lithium Processing Initiative
The Department of Energy has announced $2.8 billion in funding for domestic lithium processing facilities, aiming to reduce dependence on Chinese refinement operations.
Australia-US Partnership on Critical Minerals
A new bilateral agreement between Australia and the United States aims to establish secure supply chains for critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements.
China Restricts Gallium and Germanium Exports
Beijing has implemented export controls on gallium and germanium, two materials essential for advanced chip production. This move is seen as retaliation for US semiconductor restrictions.
Strategic Stockpile Expansion Planned
Congress is considering legislation to expand the National Defense Stockpile of critical minerals, including gallium, germanium, and other elements essential for advanced chip production.