Molybdenum
World mine production and reserves, 2024–2025
Share of world mine production, 2025 · world total 260,000 metric tons
- China 37%
- Chile 16%
- United States 15%
- Peru 15%
- Mexico 6.5%
- Armenia 2%
- Kazakhstan 1.7%
- Mongolia 1.6%
- All other countries 4.3%
China accounted for 37% of world mine production of molybdenum in 2025 (97,000 metric tons of 260,000 metric tons). The United States was a net exporter of molybdenum in 2025. Among the main producers, Armenia changed most: −35% on 2024. Chile supplied 74% of U.S. imports of ferromolybdenum in 2021–24, more than any other country.
Producer log
15 countries listed separately
| Country | Mine production 2024 | Mine production 2025 | Share of world 2025 | Change on 2024 | Reserves | Share of world reserves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 100,000 | 97,000 | 37% | −3% | 7,800 | 45% |
| Chile | 38,500 | 42,000 | 16% | +9.1% | 2,600 | 15% |
| United States | 34,000 | 40,000 | 15% | +18% | 3,500 | 20% |
| Peru | 41,900 | 39,000 | 15% | −6.9% | 1,000 | 5.7% |
| Mexico | 16,200 | 17,000 | 6.5% | +4.9% | 130 | 0.7% |
| Armenia | 8,200 | 5,300 | 2% | −35% | 150 | 0.9% |
| Kazakhstan | 4,080 | 4,300 | 1.7% | +5.4% | 7 | under 0.1% |
| Mongolia | 3,110 | 4,200 | 1.6% | +35% | 10 | under 0.1% |
| Iran | 2,900 | 3,300 | 1.3% | +14% | 43 | 0.2% |
| Canada | 1,540 | 2,200 | 0.8% | +43% | 64 | 0.4% |
| Uzbekistan | 2,100 | 2,000 | 0.8% | −4.8% | 21 | 0.1% |
| Russia | 1,500 | 1,300 | 0.5% | −13% | 1,100 | 6.3% |
| Australia | 600 | 1,000 | 0.4% | +67% | 760 | 4.4% |
| North Korea | 800 | 800 | 0.3% | 0% | 78 | 0.4% |
| South Korea | 340 | 500 | 0.2% | +47% | 8 | under 0.1% |
| Other countries | 0 | 0 | 0% | 150 | ||
| World total | 256,000 | 260,000 | 100% | +1.6% | 17,000 | 100% |
Output versus reserves
same commodity, two measures
Mine production, 2025
- China 37%
- Chile 16%
- United States 15%
- Peru 15%
- Mexico 6.5%
- All other countries 9.6%
Reserves (world 17 million metric tons)
- China 45%
- United States 20%
- Chile 15%
- Russia 6.3%
- Peru 5.7%
- All other countries 8.2%
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 65 years of output.
United States
supply, trade and import sources
Net import reliance in 2025, as a percentage of apparent consumption. “E” marks years when the United States exported more than it imported.
Import sources of ferromolybdenum, 2021–24
- Chile 74%
- South Korea 21%
- United Kingdom 4%
- Other countries 1%
| Item | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production, mine | 41,100 | 34,600 | 34,000 | 34,000 | 40,000 |
| Imports for consumption total: Ore and concentrates | 15,500 | 15,700 | 16,200 | 14,700 | 17,000 |
| Imports for consumption total: Primary products | 14,700 | 13,100 | 13,500 | 12,200 | 9,700 |
| Exports: Ore and concentrates | 33,900 | 26,900 | 29,200 | 26,900 | 27,000 |
| Exports: Primary products | 4,150 | 4,860 | 4,230 | 5,890 | 6,500 |
| Consumption: Reported | 16,100 | 15,800 | 16,000 | 17,000 | 18,000 |
| Consumption: Apparent | 33,100 | 31,500 | 30,700 | 28,500 | 34,000 |
| Stocks, consumer materials | 2,040 | 2,040 | 1,900 | 1,900 | 2,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Molybdenum chapter (PDF page 138). How to read these figures.