Fluorspar
World mine production and reserves, 2024–2025
Share of world mine production, 2025 · world total 10 million metric tons
- China 59%
- Mexico 15%
- Mongolia 15%
- South Africa 4%
- Vietnam 1.6%
- Spain 1.4%
- Brazil 1%
- Iran 0.7%
- All other countries 3.5%
China accounted for 59% of world mine production of fluorspar in 2025 (6 million metric tons). The United States relied on net imports for all of its fluorspar consumption in 2025. World reserves equal about 33 years of 2025 output at that rate, the fifth shortest of the 19 commodities where both figures exist. The three largest producers, China, Mexico, and Mongolia, together supplied 88%.
Producer log
13 countries listed separately
| Country | Mine production 2024 | Mine production 2025 | Share of world 2025 | Change on 2024 | Reserves | Share of world reserves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6,000 | 6,000 | 59% | 0% | 110,000 | 33% |
| Mexico | 1,510 | 1,500 | 15% | −0.7% | 68,000 | 21% |
| Mongolia | 1,430 | 1,500 | 15% | +4.9% | 34,000 | 10% |
| South Africa | 447 | 410 | 4% | −8.3% | 41,000 | 12% |
| Vietnam | 146 | 160 | 1.6% | +9.6% | 16,000 | 4.8% |
| Spain | 138 | 140 | 1.4% | +1.4% | 15,000 | 4.5% |
| Brazil | 85 | 100 | 1% | +18% | 2,500 | 0.8% |
| Iran | 53 | 70 | 0.7% | +32% | 7,600 | 2.3% |
| Thailand | 75 | 55 | 0.5% | −27% | 3,600 | 1.1% |
| Pakistan | 60 | 50 | 0.5% | −17% | not available | |
| Germany | 35 | 35 | 0.3% | 0% | not available | |
| Tajikistan | 15 | 15 | 0.1% | 0% | not available | |
| United States | not available | not available | not available | |||
| Other countries | 316 | 200 | 2% | 32,000 | ||
| World total | 10,300 | 10,000 | 100% | −2.9% | 330,000 | 100% |
Output versus reserves
same commodity, two measures
Mine production, 2025
- China 59%
- Mexico 15%
- Mongolia 15%
- South Africa 4%
- Vietnam 1.6%
- All other countries 6.5%
Reserves (world 330 million metric tons)
- China 33%
- Mexico 21%
- South Africa 12%
- Mongolia 10%
- Vietnam 4.8%
- All other countries 18%
Reserves are the part of identified deposits that USGS considers economic to extract now; they change as prices, technology and surveys change. At the 2025 rate, the world reserve figure equals about 33 years of output.
United States
supply, trade and import sources
Net import reliance in 2025, as a percentage of apparent consumption.
Import sources, 2021–24
- Mexico 64%
- Vietnam 12%
- China 10%
- South Africa 9%
- Other countries 5%
Uses named for it in the 2025 critical minerals list: cement, industrial chemicals, and metallurgy.
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production: Finished, metallurgical grade | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Production: Fluorosilicic acid from phosphate rock | 40 | 43 | 43 | 45 | 45 |
| Imports for consumption: Acid grade | 391 | 448 | 378 | 372 | 360 |
| Imports for consumption: Metallurgical grade | 59 | 84 | 34 | 31 | 20 |
| Imports for consumption: Total fluorspar imports | 451 | 532 | 412 | 403 | 380 |
| Imports for consumption: Hydrofluoric acid | 103 | 99 | 87 | 69 | 76 |
| Imports for consumption: Aluminum fluoride | 28 | 21 | 25 | 22 | 20 |
| Imports for consumption: Cryolite | 42 | 28 | 32 | 22 | 21 |
| Exports, fluorspar, all grades | 15 | 24 | 20 | 14 | 7 |
| Consumption, apparent | 436 | 508 | 392 | 390 | 370 |
| Employment, mine, number | 17 | 15 | 16 | 15 | 15 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Fluorspar chapter (PDF page 88). How to read these figures.