The United States is increasingly dependent on foreign sources for its critical mineral needs, despite escalating federal efforts to strengthen supply chains and increase domestic production. According to The Findings of the US Geological Survey’s (USGS) Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the state of US mining, mineral production, supply chains, and international trade for calendar year 2025.
Total US domestic nonfuel mineral production was valued at $112 billion in 2025, a 6% increase from $106 billion in 2024, fueled by a surge in metals prices and modest growth in industrial minerals. Despite some promising domestic developments, the report warns that geopolitical realities, supply disruptions, and processing dependencies continue to expose significant vulnerabilities in the US mineral supply chain, particularly with respect to China.
The total value of metals production in 2025 soared 13% year-over-year to $38.1 billion, driven mainly by increased gold and silver prices. Gold prices surged 38%, pushing the commodity’s overall value up by 32%, even as US gold mine production fell by about 2% to 230 tons. Silver, which was added to the US critical minerals list in 2025, also contributed to this trend.
Industrial minerals, which represent a larger share of total production by value, increased by a more modest 2%, reaching $73.7 billion. Crushed stone remained the top mineral commodity by value, contributing $26.8 billion, about 24% of the total. The broader US mining and mineral processing industry had a disproportionate impact on the national economy. According to the USGS report, domestic and recycled raw materials valued at $950 billion supported downstream industries, which contributed an estimated $4.09 trillion to the nation’s GDP in 2025.
Recycling remained a vital component of domestic mineral supply. In 2025, the value of materials sourced from recycled scrap reached $46 billion, with iron, steel, aluminum, and gold accounting for the largest share. Six new recycling facilities came online during the year, targeting vacuum-recovered aluminum and copper, lithium-ion battery materials, and various precious metals.
Lead recycling accounted for 70% of total consumption, primarily from used lead-acid batteries. Antimony, another critical mineral, also saw a significant share of total domestic supply come from recycling, especially as new mine production only resumed late in the year after decades of dormancy.
A major theme of the 2026 USGS report is the growing reliance on imports for critical minerals. The updated Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals now includes 60 commodities, with copper, lead, silver, silicon, uranium, and phosphate rock among new additions. Alarmingly, the United States was 100% reliant on imports for 13 of these minerals, including well-known strategic inputs such as scandium, tantalum, and yttrium, and more than 50% reliant on imports for an additional 20.
China continues to dominate the supply chains for critical materials, accounting for over half of US imports of eight minerals, including antimony, graphite, rare earths, and arsenic. Antimony prices rocketed 144% in 2025 amid Chinese export controls, reinforcing fears about the leverage Beijing holds over key industrial inputs. Complicating the geopolitical calculus, Gabon plans to ban manganese ore exports by 2029, and Malaysia recently prohibited the export of raw rare-earth ore to encourage domestic downstream processing. “The report underscores just how hard it is to put a dent in China’s decades-long strategy to dominate the world’s minerals markets,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association. “We’ve made significant progress, but the permitting process for opening a mine in the US still takes an average of 29 years. That’s unsustainable if we want to achieve mineral independence.”
In 2025, key commodity developments highlighted significant changes across various sectors. Aluminum production declined in primary output, falling to 660,000 tons; however, the value of aluminum increased by 35%, driven by higher market prices. On a positive note, new aluminum recycling capacity was established in Minnesota, thereby contributing to a more sustainable supply chain.
Copper, which was designated as “critical” that year, experienced a reduction in US mine output, falling to 1,000,000 tons. Despite this decrease, copper remained essential for electrification efforts, prompting the development of new mines and facilities in Arizona, Georgia, and Kentucky to bolster production. Lithium prices, on the other hand, fell by 24% due to an oversupply in the market, even as capacity expansions were occurring in Nevada and internationally. Meanwhile, the recycling of lithium-ion batteries has gained traction in states such as Georgia and South Carolina, reflecting a shift toward more sustainable use of this critical mineral.
The production of rare earths saw a 10% increase in US concentrate output, but the country became increasingly reliant on China for separated rare earth products. This dependency was underscored by a staggering 169% surge in imports of these crucial compounds. Lastly, iron ore production declined by 16% to 38 million tons. This decline was primarily attributable to the idling of a major mine in Minnesota, with plans to restart in 2026, offering some hope for future recovery.
The USGS report arrives as the US government signals a more assertive stance toward mineral security. A new White House plan allocates $12 billion for a strategic stockpile of critical minerals. In contrast, a proposed critical minerals partner bloc led by Vice President JD Vance aims to unite reliable trading allies like Australia, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Yet industry leaders stress that even bold policy initiatives face friction from entrenched regulatory and permitting delays. Without streamlining approvals and incentivizing investment, the US risks falling short of securing its mineral future.
“The will is there across both the administration and Congress to reshore mineral processing and production,” said Nolan. “But to translate those goals into results, we need long-overdue permitting reform to give mining companies the confidence to build, invest, and hire here in the United States.”As the world moves toward clean energy, electrification, and technological innovation, the urgency to secure stable, diversified, and domestic mineral supplies has never been greater. The 2026 USGS summary offers a sobering reminder: mineral independence will require not just ambition, but action.