Other critical minerals
Thorium (Th)
Potential nuclear fuel: thorium-232 breeds fissile uranium-233 in reactors (India's three-stage programme, molten-salt reactor research in China and elsewhere). Historically gas mantles, alloys and optical glass.
Open in the explorer- Atomic number
- 90
- Period · group
- 7 · Actinide
- Block
- f-block
Why it is critical
Strategic nuclear fuel resource: thorium-232 breeds fissile uranium-233, and a few countries hold most known resources. Recovered mainly from monazite alongside rare earths, so supply is tied to rare-earth processing; there is no open market price.
Who trades thorium
$43 m of thorium products crossed borders in 2024: ores and concentrates $43 m.
Largest exporters
- 1Madagascar$17 m39%
- 2Thailand$16 m38%
- 3Indonesia$5 m11%
- 4Dem. Rep. Congo$4 m9%
- 5Malaysia$512 k1%
- 6Nigeria$223 k1%
- 7Brazil$133 k0%
- 8Poland$48 k0%
Largest importers
- 1China$43 m100%
- 2Switzerland$48 k0%
- 3Japan$33 k0%
- 4Taiwan$6 k0%
- 5Israel$5 k0%
- 6Spain$4 k0%
- 7Finland$1 k0%
- 8Bangladesh$1 k0%
Trade values in current US dollars (ores, concentrates, intermediates, chemicals and refined metal), not prices. Source: CEPII BACI (HS22), Etalab Open Licence 2.0 — details.