Final List of Critical Minerals 2025

Country / jurisdiction: United States · Year: 2025 · Status: In force · Level: National · Type: Voluntary

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:

Aluminum – used in almost all sectors of the economy

Antimony – used in lead-acid batteries and flame retardants

Arsenic – used in semiconductors

Barite – used in oil and gas drilling and medical imaging

Beryllium – used to manufacture metal alloys for aerospace and defense

Bismuth – used in non-toxic metals, atomic research and some medical applications

Boron – used to harden steel and glass and in nuclear energy

Cerium – used in catalytic converters, ceramics, glass, metallurgy and polishing

Cesium – used in atomic clocks for global positioning systems

Chromium – used in stainless steel

Cobalt – used in batteries and high-temperature metal alloys

Copper – used widely in wiring and cables

Dysprosium – used in permanent magnets, data storage devices and lasers

Erbium – used in fibre optics, optical amplifiers, lasers and glass colourants

Europium – used in phosphors and nuclear control rods

Fluorspar – used to make synthetic materials and plastics, iron and steel, ceramics, glass and refinery products

Gadolinium – used in medical imaging, permanent magnets and steel

Gallium – used in semiconductors

Germanium – used in fibre optics, semiconductors and night vision systems

Graphite – used in lubricants, batteries and fuel cells

Hafnium – used in nuclear control rods, semiconductors and aerospace applications

Holmium – used in permanent magnets, nuclear control rods and lasers

Indium – used in flat-panel displays and touchscreens

Iridium – used in electrochemical processes and as a chemical catalyst

Lanthanum – used in chemical catalysts, metallurgy and batteries

Lead – used in batteries, ammunition, glass and ceramics production

Lithium – used in rechargeable batteries

Lutetium – used in medical imaging, electronics and some cancer therapies

Magnesium – used in metal alloys for aerospace, automotive and electronics industries

Manganese – used in steel production and batteries

Metallurgical coal – used in steel production

Neodymium – used in permanent magnets, lasers and rubber production

Nickel – used in high-strength steel and rechargeable batteries

Niobium – used to strengthen steel

Palladium – used in catalytic converters, electronics and as a chemical catalyst

Phosphate – used in fertilisers

Platinum – used in catalytic converters, aerospace alloys, chemical refining and petroleum processing

Potash – used in most fertilisers

Praseodymium – used in permanent magnets, batteries, aerospace alloys, ceramics and colourants

Rhenium – used in high-performance jet engines and gas turbines

Rhodium – used in catalytic converters, electrical components and as a chemical catalyst

Rubidium – used in atomic clocks, GPS systems and research applications

Ruthenium – used as a catalyst and in electrical contacts and chip resistors

Samarium – used in permanent magnets, nuclear reactors and cancer treatments

Scandium – used to strengthen metal alloys, in fuel cells and in high-intensity lighting

Silicon – used in silicon wafers fundamental to semiconductors

Silver – used in electrical circuits, batteries, solar cells and medical instruments

Tantalum – used in high-temperature and corrosion-resistant electronic components

Tellurium – used in solar cells, steel and copper alloys, rubber, microchips and laser diodes

Terbium – used in permanent magnets, fibre optics, lasers and solid-state devices

Thulium – used in lasers, X-ray devices and specialised metal alloys

Tin – used for food and beverage cans, circuit boards and corrosion-resistant coatings

Titanium – used as a white pigment and in metal alloys for aerospace and defence applications

Tungsten – used in wear-resistant metals for jet engines, ammunition and mining equipment

Uranium – used as a nuclear fuel and in medical applications

Vanadium – used to strengthen iron and steel

Ytterbium – used in catalysts, lasers and metallurgy

Yttrium – used in lighting and display technologies and high-performance alloys

Zinc – used as a coating to protect iron and steel from corrosion

Zirconium – used in nuclear reactors, aerospace heat shields and engine components

Official source: https://www.usgs.gov/news/science-snippet/interior-department-releases-final-2025-list-critical-minerals