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Open in the explorerOrganisations (47)Events

Production, refining and reserves

CommodityMetricValueWorld rank · shareSource
NickelRefinery production 202334,000 t Ni content (primary nickel products)#15 · 1%USGS Minerals Yearbook 2023 (nickel, tables-only release), table 12
FluorsparMine production 202115,000 t fluorspar (all grades, gross weight)—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
FluorsparReserves 20194 million t fluorspar#7 · 1%USGS MCS 2020
BariteMine production 202150,000 t barite (gross weight)—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
BariteReserves 2012100,000 t barite#11 · 0%USGS MCS 2013
PlatinumRefinery production 20215,000 kg Pt (refinery output)—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
PalladiumRefinery production 20217,000 kg Pd (refinery output)—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
TinMine production 2018230 t Sn content—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
TungstenMine production 2018980 t W content#6 · 1%USGS Minerals Yearbook 2021 (tungsten), table 15
TungstenReserves 201944,000 t W content#5 · 1%USGS MCS 2020
AluminiumRefinery production 202140,000 t primary aluminium metal—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
LeadMine production 2021100 t Pb content—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
LeadRefinery production 2021200,000 t refined lead (primary)—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
SilverMine production 2021250 kg Ag content—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
PotashMine production 2021110,460 t K2O content—USGS Minerals Yearbook 2020-21 (advance data release), The Mineral Industry of the United Kingdom, table 1
PotashReserves 2018170 million t K2O equivalent#8 · 3%USGS MCS 2019
LimeRefinery production 20251.3 million t lime#19 · 0.3%USGS MCS 2026
BromineMine production 200535,000 t Br content—USGS MCS 2006
Nitrogen (ammonia)Refinery production 20161.1 million t N content (ammonia)—USGS MCS 2017
Fuller's earthMine production 200770,000 t fuller's earth—USGS MCS 2008
KaolinMine production 20191 million t kaolin—USGS MCS 2020
GypsumMine production 20171.2 million t gypsum—USGS MCS 2018
GypsumReserves 201730 million t gypsum—USGS MCS 2018
Iron oxide pigmentsMine production 20128,000 t iron oxide pigments—USGS MCS 2013
PeatMine production 2018700,000 t peat#10 · 2%USGS MCS 2020
SaltMine production 20252.6 million t salt#19 · 1%USGS MCS 2026
Sand and gravel (industrial)Mine production 20254.7 million t industrial sand and gravel#15 · 1%USGS MCS 2026

Policies and export measures

Policy tracker →

  • 2026-06-22 · incentive

    Critical Minerals Programme (£50 million): Magnet Hub, Critical Minerals Accelerator and Demand Aggregation Platform

    Launched under the Industrial Strategy and the 2025 Critical Minerals Strategy. It funds a national rare-earth magnet facility (£20m), collaborative extraction, processing and recycling projects (£25m) and a platform of up to £5m to pool UK industrial demand for critical minerals and support strategic offtake agreements. It adds to earlier support through the National Wealth Fund, DRIVE35 and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)

  • 2026-02-04 · agreement

    UK–US Memorandum of Understanding on securing supply in the mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths

    Signed in Washington on 4 February 2026 (signature date). The two governments intend to accelerate secure supply of critical minerals and rare earths for defence and advanced manufacturing, mobilise government support such as guarantees, loans, equity, offtake facilitation and insurance, and jointly identify projects to back.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade; FCDO (GOV.UK)

  • 2025-11-22 · strategy

    Vision 2035: UK Critical Minerals Strategy

    Published 22 November 2025. Targets for 2035: at least 10% of UK critical-mineral demand from domestic production (including at least 50,000 t of lithium), 20% from recycling, and no more than 60% from any one country. It also provides up to £50 million in funding support for critical-mineral projects.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)

  • 2024-09-18 · agreement

    UK–Indonesia memorandum of understanding on a Strategic Critical Minerals Partnership

    Signed on 18 September 2024 (signature date) by a UK FCDO minister and Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources. It provides for policy dialogue, exchange of technical expertise and support for a policy framework promoting ESG practices in Indonesia's critical-mineral sector.

    Source: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)

  • 2024-04-12 · trade measure

    UK action extending Russian metals ban to the LME and CME

    Announced 12 April 2024 jointly with the US. Building on the existing UK import ban, the LME and CME may no longer trade newly produced Russian aluminium, copper and nickel.

    Source: HM Treasury / DBT / FCDO (GOV.UK)

  • 2023-10-28 · agreement

    UK–Japan Critical Minerals Memorandum of Cooperation

    Signed on 28 October 2023 (signature date) by the UK Business and Trade Secretary and Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry at the G7 trade ministers' meeting in Osaka. It sets a framework for cooperation on research and innovation, data and traceability, industry partnerships, infrastructure in third countries, support for producer countries and ESG and technical standards.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)

  • 2023-08-03 · agreement

    UK–Zambia memorandum of understanding on critical minerals

    Signed on 3 August 2023 (signature date) during the Foreign Secretary's visit to Zambia, alongside targets under the UK–Zambia Green Growth Compact. The targets are up to £2.5 billion of UK private investment and up to £500 million of UK government-backed investment.

    Source: FCDO (GOV.UK)

  • 2023-03-13 · strategy

    Critical Minerals Refresh (2023)

    Published 13 March 2023. It updates delivery of the 2022 strategy and sets up an independent Task and Finish Group on industry resilience. It also expands international partnerships (including Canada, South Africa and the MSP) and launches the CLIMATES circular critical materials fund with an initial £15 million.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)

  • 2023-03-06 · agreement

    UK–Canada critical minerals partnership

    Launched on 6 March 2023 (signature date) by the UK Business and Trade Minister and Canada's Minister of Natural Resources. It covers critical-minerals research and development cooperation and supply-chain resilience, for minerals such as cobalt and lithium.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade (GOV.UK)

  • 2022-07-22 · strategy

    Resilience for the Future: UK Critical Minerals Strategy (2022)

    The UK's first critical minerals strategy, published 22 July 2022, aimed at improving security of supply. GOV.UK records that it was withdrawn on 24 November 2025 and replaced by Vision 2035.

    Source: Department for Business and Trade / BEIS (GOV.UK)

Trade in critical minerals

Exports 2024$10 bn

  1. Aluminium$1.8 bnto Germany 30%, India 19%, Hong Kong 9% · 73 more
  2. Copper$1.7 bnto China 42%, India 10%, Belgium 7% · 76 more
  3. Platinum$1.6 bnto North Macedonia 30%, United States of America 27%, South Korea 8% · 26 more
  4. Palladium$1.4 bnto North Macedonia 41%, Germany 21%, Japan 10% · 26 more
  5. Platinum-group metals$1.3 bnto United States of America 55%, Germany 12%, Japan 9% · 21 more
  6. Nickel$711 mto United States of America 17%, Belgium 16%, China 12% · 56 more
  7. Molybdenum$442 mto Netherlands 36%, Mexico 17%, Spain 11% · 42 more
  8. Lead$322 mto Germany 23%, France 14%, India 11% · 42 more

and 39 more commodities

Imports 2024$7.4 bn

  1. Platinum$1.2 bnfrom South Africa 40%, Hong Kong 17%, Italy 14% · 20 more
  2. Aluminium$1.0 bnfrom Mozambique 30%, United Arab Emirates 14%, Iceland 13% · 61 more
  3. Palladium$956 mfrom South Africa 41%, Belgium 17%, Italy 15% · 18 more
  4. Platinum-group metals$880 mfrom South Africa 43%, Belgium 23%, Germany 8% · 17 more
  5. Nickel$792 mfrom Indonesia 50%, Japan 7%, Norway 6% · 49 more
  6. Molybdenum$463 mfrom United States of America 75%, Netherlands 7%, China 5% · 19 more
  7. Copper$264 mfrom Belgium 36%, Ireland 27%, Netherlands 15% · 52 more
  8. Silicon$194 mfrom Brazil 27%, China 24%, Spain 13% · 31 more

and 39 more commodities

Trade values in current US dollars (ores, concentrates, intermediates, chemicals and refined metal), not prices. * Includes HS codes that also cover other products. Source: CEPII BACI (HS22), Etalab Open Licence 2.0 — details.

Fiscal regime for mining

No fiscal terms recorded for United Kingdom yet.

Deals and financing (1)

  1. 2025-09-23 · Equity investment · signed · GBP 35

    National Wealth Fund → Cornish Lithium · Trelavour hard-rock lithium and Cross Lanes geothermal lithium projects

    The UK National Wealth Fund committed up to GBP 31 million and TechMet GBP 4 million of equity to Cornish Lithium to advance the Trelavour and Cross Lanes lithium projects.

    official release

Mines and facilities (7)

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