Final List of Critical Minerals 2025

In November 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior, through the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), released the final 2025 List of Critical Minerals, updating the previous 2022 list. The revised list expands the number of designated critical minerals from 50 to 60, adding boron, copper, lead, metallurgical coal, phosphate, potash, rhenium, silicon, silver and uranium. The update was based on an updated assessment methodology, public consultation and interagency input, and is intended to inform policies aimed at strengthening the resilience and security of U.S. mineral supply chains.

New minerals added compared with the 2022 list are emphasised:

1. Aluminum – used in almost all sectors of the economy
2. Antimony – used in lead-acid batteries and flame retardants
3. Arsenic – used in semiconductors
4. Barite – used in oil and gas drilling and medical imaging
5. Beryllium – used to manufacture metal alloys for aerospace and defense
6. Bismuth – used in non-toxic metals, atomic research and some medical applications
7. Boron – used to harden steel and glass and in nuclear energy
8. Cerium – used in catalytic converters, ceramics, glass, metallurgy and polishing
9. Cesium – used in atomic clocks for global positioning systems
10. Chromium – used in stainless steel
11. Cobalt – used in batteries and high-temperature metal alloys
12. Copper – used widely in wiring and cables
13. Dysprosium – used in permanent magnets, data storage devices and lasers
14. Erbium – used in fibre optics, optical amplifiers, lasers and glass colourants
15. Europium – used in phosphors and nuclear control rods
16. Fluorspar – used to make synthetic materials and plastics, iron and steel, ceramics, glass and refinery products
17. Gadolinium – used in medical imaging, permanent magnets and steel
18. Gallium – used in semiconductors
19. Germanium – used in fibre optics, semiconductors and night vision systems
20. Graphite – used in lubricants, batteries and fuel cells
21. Hafnium – used in nuclear control rods, semiconductors and aerospace applications
22. Holmium – used in permanent magnets, nuclear control rods and lasers
23. Indium – used in flat-panel displays and touchscreens
24. Iridium – used in electrochemical processes and as a chemical catalyst
25. Lanthanum – used in chemical catalysts, metallurgy and batteries
26. Lead – used in batteries, ammunition, glass and ceramics production
27. Lithium – used in rechargeable batteries
28. Lutetium – used in medical imaging, electronics and some cancer therapies
29. Magnesium – used in metal alloys for aerospace, automotive and electronics industries
30. Manganese – used in steel production and batteries
31. Metallurgical coal – used in steel production
32. Neodymium – used in permanent magnets, lasers and rubber production
33. Nickel – used in high-strength steel and rechargeable batteries
34. Niobium – used to strengthen steel
35. Palladium – used in catalytic converters, electronics and as a chemical catalyst
36. Phosphate – used in fertilisers
37. Platinum – used in catalytic converters, aerospace alloys, chemical refining and petroleum processing
38. Potash – used in most fertilisers
39. Praseodymium – used in permanent magnets, batteries, aerospace alloys, ceramics and colourants
40. Rhenium – used in high-performance jet engines and gas turbines
41. Rhodium – used in catalytic converters, electrical components and as a chemical catalyst
42. Rubidium – used in atomic clocks, GPS systems and research applications
43. Ruthenium – used as a catalyst and in electrical contacts and chip resistors
44. Samarium – used in permanent magnets, nuclear reactors and cancer treatments
45. Scandium – used to strengthen metal alloys, in fuel cells and in high-intensity lighting
46. Silicon – used in silicon wafers fundamental to semiconductors
47. Silver – used in electrical circuits, batteries, solar cells and medical instruments
48. Tantalum – used in high-temperature and corrosion-resistant electronic components
49. Tellurium – used in solar cells, steel and copper alloys, rubber, microchips and laser diodes
50. Terbium – used in permanent magnets, fibre optics, lasers and solid-state devices
51. Thulium – used in lasers, X-ray devices and specialised metal alloys
52. Tin – used for food and beverage cans, circuit boards and corrosion-resistant coatings
53. Titanium – used as a white pigment and in metal alloys for aerospace and defence applications
54. Tungsten – used in wear-resistant metals for jet engines, ammunition and mining equipment
55. Uranium – used as a nuclear fuel and in medical applications
56. Vanadium – used to strengthen iron and steel
57. Ytterbium – used in catalysts, lasers and metallurgy
58. Yttrium – used in lighting and display technologies and high-performance alloys
59. Zinc – used as a coating to protect iron and steel from corrosion
60. Zirconium – used in nuclear reactors, aerospace heat shields and engine components

Want to know more about this policy ? Learn more