silicon
Critical · 2 lists

Silicon · Si

specialty_metal · primary

DOE_2023
USGS_2025

Silicon sits on 2 federal critical-minerals lists; mine supply is highly concentrated (HHI 0.55, 2025), led by 🇨🇳 China at 73% of output. US net import reliance: >50 (2025). Prices fell 24% over the past year (-12%/yr over 4y).

Headline indicators

140cents per pound

USGS MCS (Ferrosilicon, 75% silicon)

-24% 1Y

-12%/yr · 4Y CAGR

>50

0.55

Highly concentrated · 2025

lifecycle flow

  1. 01Reserves

    -

  2. 02Production

    9.6Mt

    China top · 2025

  3. 03Trade

    258.0Kt

    net importer · 2025

  4. 04Stocks

    0t

    year-end · 2025

  5. 05Consumption

    -

Data coverage notes

  • no dataNo commodity-decomposed recycling data - No USGS MCS Fig13 scrap rows. EU WEEE / battery EOL flows (Phase 6.1.1) are country-keyed only - see country profiles.
  • datedExport-restriction inventory ends 2020 - The OECD industrial-raw-materials inventory (vendored snapshot) reports HS-line measures only through 2020; restrictions enacted since are not reflected in the measure table.
  • narrowConsumption geography is single-economy (United States) - Reported consumption covers one economy only - the world usage split must be read from trade flows, not from a consumption table.

How strata reads a commodity

The eight-stage lens, the observed-vs-estimated membrane, stage-honest supply, per-stage concentration, ownership resolution and the demand lens - the full method is illustrated live on copper, nickel and lithium.

Read the methodology, illustrated live →

Where this data comes from

11 sources · titles open the source card · url opens the publisher