Mineral Commodities

Tellurium

World refinery production and capacity, 2024–2025

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

Share of world refinery production, 2025 · world total 1,000 metric tons

  • China 78%
  • Russia 6.5%
  • Japan 5.9%
  • Sweden 4.7%
  • Canada 2.7%
  • Uzbekistan 1.8%
  • South Africa 0.5%
  • Bulgaria under 0.1%

China accounted for 78% of world refinery production of tellurium in 2025 (800 metric tons). Only 7 of the 72 commodities with a world total had a larger single-country share. The three largest producers, China, Russia, and Japan, together supplied 90%. U.S. imports of tellurium fell from 42 metric tons in 2021 to 14 metric tons in 2025 (tellurium content).

Producer log

9 countries listed separately

World refinery production and capacity. Units: metric tons, tellurium content. 2025 figures are USGS estimates.
CountryRefinery production 2024Refinery production 2025Share of world 2025Change on 2024Refinery capacity
China75080078%+6.7%1,000
Russia64676.5%+4.7%80
Japan70615.9%−13%75
Swedenconcentrate46484.7%+4.3%50
Canada27282.7%+3.7%30
Uzbekistan18181.8%0%50
South Africa550.5%0%10
Bulgaria110.1%0%5
United Statescopper telluridewithheldwithheldwithheld
Other countriesnot availablenot availablenot available
World total9811,000100%+1.9%1,300

The world total excludes U.S. output, which USGS withholds.

United States

supply, trade and import sources

more than 25%

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

2021>95
2022>75
2023E
2024<25
2025>25

Import sources, 2021–24

  • Canada 64%
  • Philippines 14%
  • Japan 8%
  • Germany 5%
  • Other countries 9%

Estimated end uses worldwide

  • Solar power cells70%
  • Thermoelectric devices15%
  • Metallurgy10%
  • Other applications5%
United States, 2021–2025 (metric tons, tellurium content, unless the row says otherwise). W = withheld by USGS; NA = not available; 2025 estimated.
Item20212022202320242025
Production, copper tellurideWWWWW
Imports for consumption42378614
Exports211533
Consumption, apparentWWWWW
Stocks, producer, yearendWWWWW
Open in the producer explorerWhich minerals depend most on one country Who produces the U.S. critical minerals

Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Tellurium chapter (PDF page 196). How to read these figures.