Prospector Trails
Mining by country/Asia
China is the world's largest mine producer of gallium, bismuth, magnesium and more. It is in the world top three for lithium (#2), aluminium and bauxite (#3), beryllium (#3), silver (#3). The story below follows its minerals from the ground to the economy, the export ports and the mines.
01 · What it digs
China mined 100% of the world's gallium in 2025, ranking #1. Across the 34 minerals we track it holds a share of at least 0.5% in 31.
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, mine stage, latest year per mineral. Columns on the globe: every producer of gallium.
02 · Mining in the economy
Mineral rents came to 0.5% of China's GDP in 2021, higher than 74% of the countries the World Bank reports; ores and metals made up 1.6% of its merchandise exports in 2025. GDP was $19,498bn in 2025.
World Bank WDI: mineral rents (NY.GDP.MINR.RT.ZS) and ores and metals exports (TX.VAL.MMTL.ZS.UN). The globe shades every country by mineral rents.
03 · Six years of output
Mine production, gallium, bismuth, magnesium, tungsten, USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2022 to 2026 (each year as last reported).
04 · Where it goes
Its largest mineral export line in the trade data is gold: $9.6bn in 2024, led by Hong Kong ($9.6bn).
CEPII BACI bilateral trade, by value; arcs run from China to the buyer.
05 · Jurisdiction
The World Bank's Worldwide Governance Indicators put China at -0.43 on rule of law in 2025, higher than 39% of countries. These are perception-based estimates on a scale from −2.5 to +2.5; they describe the operating environment, not any company.
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators. The globe shades every country by rule of law.
06 · Mines and projects
19 mines in China have output figures in open mine databases; the largest by reported output are below. Listed companies hold 17 projects here, shown as dots.
What China mines: gallium (100% of world output, #1), bismuth (88% of world output, #1), magnesium (86% of world output, #1), tungsten (79% of world output, #1). Below: 17 projects held by listed companies and 19 mines from open mine databases.
China in numbers: the infographic
| Mineral | World share | World rank | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gallium | 100% | 1 | 2025 |
| Bismuth | 88% | 1 | 2025 |
| Magnesium | 86% | 1 | 2025 |
| Tungsten | 79% | 1 | 2025 |
| Graphite (natural) | 78% | 1 | 2025 |
| Vanadium | 75% | 1 | 2025 |
| Silicon | 70% | 1 | 2025 |
| Rare earths | 69% | 1 | 2025 |
| Indium | 69% | 1 | 2025 |
| Germanium | 68% | 1 | 2021 |
| Fluorspar | 60% | 1 | 2025 |
| Phosphate rock | 44% | 1 | 2025 |
| Lead | 42% | 1 | 2025 |
| Molybdenum | 37% | 1 | 2025 |
| Antimony | 36% | 1 | 2025 |
| Titanium minerals | 34% | 1 | 2025 |
| Zinc | 32% | 1 | 2025 |
| Tin | 24% | 1 | 2025 |
| Lithium | 21% | 2 | 2025 |
| Aluminium and bauxite | 20% | 3 | 2025 |
| Beryllium | 18% | 3 | 2025 |
| Silver | 13% | 3 | 2025 |
| Potash | 13% | 3 | 2025 |
| Gold | 12% | 1 | 2025 |
| Iron ore | 11% | 4 | 2025 |
| Zirconium (zircon) | 8.3% | 4 | 2025 |
| Copper | 7.8% | 4 | 2025 |
| Manganese | 3.5% | 7 | 2025 |
| Tantalum | 3.2% | 5 | 2025 |
| Nickel | 3.1% | 6 | 2025 |
| Cobalt | 0.7% | 9 | 2025 |
| Project | Company | Minerals | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caijiaying Zinc-Gold Mine (Zones II, III, V, VIII) | Griffin Mining | Gold, Lead, Silver, Zinc | Producing |
| Chaishan W-polymetallic area (柴山), Shizhuyuan licence | China Tungsten & Hightech | Bismuth, Fluorspar, Molybdenum, Tungsten | Producing |
| Datun tin mine (大屯锡矿), Gejiu | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Tin | Producing |
| Dulong Sn-Zn-In mine (都龙; Yunnan Hualian Zinc-Indium 云南华联锌铟), Wenshan | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Lead, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Fozichong Pb-Zn mine (佛子冲铅锌矿), Cenxi | Guangxi Huaxi Nonferrous | Copper, Lead, Silver, Zinc | Producing |
| Gaofeng tin mine (高峰锡矿), orebodies 100+105, Dachang | Guangxi Huaxi Nonferrous | Antimony, Lead, Silver, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Huaxi Youse consolidated (company-level aggregate) | Guangxi Huaxi Nonferrous | Antimony, Lead, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Kafang branch (卡房分公司), Gejiu | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Tin | Producing |
| Laochang branch (老厂分公司), Gejiu | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Shizhuyuan W-Mo-Bi-fluorite mine (柿竹园), Chenzhou | China Tungsten & Hightech | Bismuth, Fluorspar, Molybdenum, Tin, Tungsten | Producing |
| Sichuan Dixin New Energy lithium processing plant (Meishan), China | SQM (Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile) | Lithium | Producing |
| Tongkeng mine (铜坑矿), Dachang tin field | Guangxi Huaxi Nonferrous | Antimony, Lead, Silver, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Xingye group consolidated (company-level by-product aggregate) | Inner Mongolia Xingye Silver & Tin | Antimony, Copper, Iron ore, Lead, Silver, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Yinman Mining - Baiyinchagan Dongshan Cu-Sn-Ag-Zn-Pb mine (银漫矿业 白音查干东山) | Inner Mongolia Xingye Silver & Tin | Antimony, Copper, Lead, Silver, Tin, Zinc | Producing |
| Yunnan Tin Co consolidated (Gejiu + Dulong; company-level aggregate) | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Lead, Silver, Tin, Tungsten, Zinc | Producing |
| Yunnan Tin Gejiu smelter (锡业分公司/冶炼, Gejiu) | Yunnan Tin Co | Copper, Tin | Producing |
| Yejiwei Cu-Sn polymetallic area (野鸡尾), Shizhuyuan licence | China Tungsten & Hightech | Copper, Fluorspar, Silver, Tin, Tungsten, Zinc | Exploration |
| Mine | Minerals | Operator | Latest published output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashele | Copper, Silver, Zinc | 44,528 t (2018) | |
| Chongli | Gold | 1.14 t (2017) | |
| Deerni | Copper | 9,767 t (2017) | |
| Duobaoshan | Copper | 39,775 t (2018) | |
| Guizhou | Aluminium and bauxite | Aluminium Corporation of China Ltd. | 1,921,000 t (2019) |
| Guizhou - Guizhou No. 1 | Aluminium and bauxite | ||
| Guizhou - Guizhou No. 2 | Aluminium and bauxite | ||
| Jingtieshan | Iron ore | ||
| Longnan | Gold | 2.93 t (2016) | |
| Mianchi | Aluminium and bauxite | Aluminium Corporation of China Ltd. | 375,000 t (2019) |
| Miaogou & Sanguikou | Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper | 74,435 t (2018) | |
| Pingguo | Aluminium and bauxite | Aluminium Corporation of China Ltd. | 5,988,000 t (2019) |
| Pingguo - Pinggou East | Aluminium and bauxite | ||
| Pingguo - Pinggou North | Aluminium and bauxite | ||
| Shanggong | Gold, Silver | 1.83 t (2017) | |
| Shuguang | Gold, Copper | 3.11 t (2018) | |
| Shuiyindong | Gold | 1.61 t (2017) | |
| Yixingzhai | Gold, Silver | 1.35 t (2017) | |
| Zijinshan | Gold, Copper, Silver | 3.24 t (2018) |
Aluminium and bauxite minesAntimony minesBismuth minesCobalt minesCopper minesFluorspar minesGallium minesGermanium minesGold minesGraphite (natural) minesIron ore minesLead minesLithium minesManganese minesMolybdenum minesNickel minesPhosphate rock minesPotash minesRare earths minesSilver minesTantalum minesTin minesTitanium minerals minesTungsten minesVanadium minesZinc minesZirconium (zircon) mines
World shares: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries, latest year per mineral. Mineral rents, exports and governance: World Bank WDI and WGI. Trade: CEPII BACI. Projects: listed companies' announcements.