Boron

World production and reserves, 2024–2025

On the U.S. 2025 critical minerals listUSGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026

Production, all forms, 2025 (thousand metric tons), bars relative to the largest; no shares because countries report different forms

Turkey refined borates1,500
Bolivia ulexite380
Chile ulexite300
China boric oxide equivalent230
Peru crude borates220
Argentina crude ore170
Russia datolite ore80
Germany compounds40

Turkey reported the largest tonnage in 2025, but countries report different forms of boron, so USGS gives no world total and no shares. Among the main producers, Bolivia changed most: +65% on 2024. The United States was a net exporter of boron in 2025. Turkey supplied 90% of U.S. imports of boron in 2021–24, more than any other country.

Producer log

9 countries listed separately

World production and reserves. Units: thousand metric tons. 2025 figures are USGS estimates.
Country	Production, all forms 2024	Production, all forms 2025	Change on 2024	Reserves
Turkeyrefined borates	1,800	1,500	−17%	950,000
Boliviaulexite	230	380	+65%	not available
Chileulexite	470	300	−36%	35,000
Chinaboric oxide equivalent	210	230	+9.5%	9,100
Perucrude borates	190	220	+16%	4,000
Argentinacrude ore	160	170	+6.2%	not available
Russiadatolite ore	90	80	−11%	40,000
Germanycompounds	45	40	−11%	not available
United States	withheld	withheld		48,000
World total	not available	not available		not available

United States

supply, trade and import sources

Net exporter

Net import reliance in 2025, as a percentage of apparent consumption. “E” marks years when the United States exported more than it imported.

2021E

2022E

2023E

2024E

2025E

Import sources, 2021–24

Turkey 90%
Bolivia 6%
Other countries 4%

Uses named for it in the 2025 critical minerals list: nuclear energy and hardening of steel and glass.

United States, 2021–2025 (thousand metric tons, unless the row says otherwise). W = withheld by USGS; NA = not available; 2025 estimated.
Item	2021	2022	2023	2024	2025
Production	W	W	W	W	W
Imports for consumption: Refined borax	232	168	156	150	120
Imports for consumption: Boric acid	54	48	38	43	45
Imports for consumption: Colemanite (calcium borates)	3	1	2	1	2
Imports for consumption: Ulexite (sodium borates)	49	38	20	28	38
Exports: Boric acid	280	239	253	246	260
Exports: Refined borax	607	651	604	655	600
Consumption, apparent	W	W	W	W	W
Employment, number	1,330	1,400	1,430	1,500	1,500

Open in the producer explorer Who produces the U.S. critical minerals

Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Boron chapter (PDF page 64). How to read these figures.