Barite — Structural brief

Where barite is produced

India is the largest producer of barite, at 34.5 percent of the published world total in 2025^[1]. It is followed by China at 25.3 percent, Morocco at 11.5 percent and Kazakhstan at 8.0 percent. The USGS puts world production at 8,700 thousand metric tons; the sum of the country figures is 8,700 thousand metric tons, the difference being rounding in the published total.^[1] Reserves are held principally by China (120,000 thousand metric tons), Iran (100,000 thousand metric tons), Kazakhstan (85,000 thousand metric tons)^[1]. The largest reserve holder is not the largest producer, which is the usual sign that the constraint is capital and permitting rather than geology.

How concentrated supply is

Measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman index over production shares, barite supply is moderately concentrated, with an index of 2,092. The top three producers hold 71.3 percent of output, and 2 producers together account for half of supply. An index below 1,500 is conventionally read as unconcentrated and above 2,500 as highly concentrated; the thresholds are the United States merger-review bands, used here as a published reference point rather than as a judgement about market conduct. The principal sources of United States imports over 2021–24 were India (39 percent), China (21 percent) and Morocco (19 percent)^[2].

Trade measures in force

The USGS compilation of export controls effective January 2026 records no measure specific to barite. That is a statement about the compiled list, not a guarantee of open trade: measures framed around ores and concentrates generally, or around a broader commodity group, can still apply.

Recent United States official notices

Federal Register documents naming barite, most recent first. 2025-11-07: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals. Critical minerals are essential for national security, economic stability, and supply chain resilience because they underpin key industries, drive technological innovation, and support critical infrastructure vital for a modern American economy. The United States is heavily reliant on imports of certain mineral commodities from foreign sources, some of which are at risk of serious, sustained, and long-term supply chain disruptions.^[3]