 Lithium |
| China may emerge as a significant producer of brine-based lithium carbonate around 2010. Potential capacity of up to 55,000
tonnes per year could come on-stream if projects in Qinghai province and Tibet proceed.
|
| Carbon (Diamond) |
| It is estimated that China has reserves of around 20 million carats. |
| Carbon (Graphite) |
| China has economically important sources of graphite. The United States Geological Survey states that in both 2005 and 2006
China produced 720,000 tonnes. Total world production of natural graphite in 2005 was 1.04 million tonnes and in 2006 was
1.03 million tonnes.
|
| Magnesium |
| In 1995 China produced around 4% of the world supply, as of 2005 this rose to 60%. |
| Aluminium |
| In 2005 China was the top producer of aluminium, with almost 20% of world's share. |
| Silicon |
| China produced 2.7 million tons of silicon in 2006. World production of silicon in 2006 was 5.1 million tons. |
| Sulfur |
| In 2006, China produced around 8 million tonnes of sulfur. Total world production was 65.7 million tonnes. |
| Calcium |
| In 2006, China produced 3 million tonnes of fluorspar (CaF2). World production was around 5.5 million tonnes.
|
| Reserves of fluorspar in China are thought to be 21 million tonnes. |
| China's production of gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O) in 2006 was 35 million tonnes. World production of gypsum in 2006 was 142.5 millions tonnes.
|
| Scandium |
| The rare earth mines in Bayan Obo, China, were one of three mines producing scandium oxide in 2003, the other two were the
uranium and iron mines in Zhovti Vody in Ukraine and the apatite mines in the Kola peninsula, Russia.
|
| The iron, tin, and tungsten deposits in China contain scandium, but as of 2003 scandium was not being extracted from the ore residues.
|
| Titanium |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 1.3 million tonnes, making it the fourth largest producer, of ilmenite (FeTiO3), one of only two commercially important titanium ores.
|
| Vanadium |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 17500 tonnes, making it the world's second largest producer, with 28% of the world total. |
| Chromium |
| In 2006, China produced 220 thousand tonnes of chromium ores and concentrates. Total worldwide production in 2006 was 19.2
million tonnes.
|
| Manganese |
| China has important mangansed deposits. |
| Iron |
| China's production of iron ore in 2006 was 588.171 million tonnes. Total world production of iron ore in 2006 was 1.81 billion
tonnes.
|
| Production of pig iron in China in 2006 was 404.167 million tonnes. Total world production of pig iron in 2006 was 925.8 million
tonnes.
|
| Cobalt |
| In 2006, China's mine production of cobalt was approx. 2100 tonnes. Total world production of cobalt from mining, in 2006,
was 59000 tonnes.
|
| Nickel |
| China's mine production of nickel in 2006 was 68900 tonnes. Worldwide mine production of nickel in 2006 was 1.526 million
tonnes.
|
| China's combined smelter/refinery production of nickel in 2006 was 137700 tonnes. Worldwide smelter/refinery production of
nickel in 2006 was 1.337 million tonnes.
|
| Copper |
| In 2006, China's production of copper by mining was approx. 915 thousand tonnes, total world production was 15.1 million tonnes. |
| In 2006, China produced nearly 3 million tonnes of refined copper, total production of refined copper was 17.2 million tonnes. |
| Zinc |
| In 2006, China was the top producer of zinc, with about 28% of world output, around 3 million tonnes. |
| Gallium |
| Data on world production of primary gallium are unavailable because data on the output of the few producers are considered
to be proprietary.
|
| In 2007, world primary production was estimated to be about 80 metric tons. China, Germany, Japan, and Ukraine were the leading producers. |
| Countries with smaller output were Hungary, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Slovakia. Refined gallium production was estimated to be about 103 metric tons; this figure includes some scrap refining. |
| Gallium was recycled from new scrap in Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. |
| Germanium |
| In 2005, China produced approx. 20 tonnes of germanium. |
| Arsenic |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 30000 tonnes of white arsenic (As2O3). China's production comes mostly from gold mining.
|
| Selenium |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 65 tonnes of selenium. |
| Bromine |
| In 2006, China was the third largest producer, approx. 44000 tonnes, world wide production was 481 thousand tonnes. |
| China's bromine reserves are located in the Shandong Province. |
| Strontium |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 700000 tonnes of strontium minerals. |
| Zirconium |
| In 2006, China produced around 20000 tonnes of zircon (ZrSiO4), the main commercial source of zirconium.
|
| Molybdenum |
| China is one of the world's largest producers of molybdenum. |
| Silver |
| In 2007, China was one of the world's top producers of silver. |
| Cadmium |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 4600 tonnes of cadmium, world production was around 21100 tonnes. |
| Tin |
| China's mine production of tin in 2006 was 114300 tonnes, making it the world's second largest producer. World production
in 2006 was 321 thousand tonnes.
|
| China's smelter production of tin in 2006 was 129400 tonnes, making it the world's largest producer. World smelter production
in 2006 was 340 thousand tonnes.
|
| Iodine |
| In 2006, China produced 560000 tonnes of iodine. |
| Antimony |
| In 2005 China was the top producer of antimony, with around 84% (126000 tonnes) of the world total. |
| Barium |
| In 2006, China produced 4.6 million tonnes of barytes (BaSO4), the main source of barium. World production of barytes in 2006 was 8.8 million tonnes.
|
| Terbium |
| The principal current source are some of the ionic adsorption clay ores of southern China. |
| Dysprosium |
| The principal current source are some of the ionic adsorption clay ores of southern China. In the high-yttrium version of
these, dysprosium happens to be the most abundant of the heavy lanthanides, comprising up to 7-8% of the concentrate (as compared
to about 65% for yttrium).
|
| Holmium |
| The principal current source are some of the ionic adsorption clay ores of southern China. Holmium makes up about 1.5%, by
weight, of the ores.
|
| Thulium |
| As of 2008 the most important sources of thulium are the ionic adsorption clay ores of southern China. |
| Ytterbium |
| As of 2008 the most important sources of ytterbium are the ionic adsorption clay ores of southern China. |
| Tungsten |
| In 2006, China produced approx. 62000 tonnes of tungsten. Total world production of tungsten in 2006 was 74400 tonnes. |
| Gold |
| In 2006, China's mine production of gold was 247.2 tonnes. Total amount of gold mined in 2006 was 2310 tonnes. |
| Mercury |
| China was the largest producer of mercury in 2006, 800000 tonnes, 57% of the world total. |
| Lead |
| In 2006, China produced 1.251 million tonnes of lead from mining. The total amount of lead mined in 2006 was 3.5 million tonnes. |
| In 2006, China's production of refined lead was 2.7355 million tonnes. Total world production of refined lead in 2006 was
8 million tonnes.
|
| Bismuth |
| In 2006, China produced 1900 tonnes of bismuth, total world production of bismuth in 2006 was around 5200 tonnes. |
