Cobalt — Structural brief

Where cobalt is produced

Democratic Republic of the Congo is the largest producer of cobalt, at 73.1 percent of the published world total in 2025^[1]. It is followed by Indonesia at 14.0 percent, Russia at 2.4 percent and Madagascar at 1.2 percent. The USGS puts world production at 310,000 metric tons; the sum of the country figures is 314,600 metric tons, the difference being rounding in the published total.^[1] Reserves are held principally by Democratic Republic of the Congo (6,000,000 metric tons), Australia (1,700,000 metric tons), Russia (800,000 metric tons)^[1].

How concentrated supply is

Measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman index over production shares, cobalt supply is highly concentrated, with an index of 5,562. The top three producers hold 90.0 percent of output, and a single producer accounts for more than 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 United States was 79 percent reliant on net imports for cobalt in 2025, with the principal import sources over 2021–24 being Norway, Finland, Canada, Japan.^[2] The principal sources of United States imports over 2021–24 were Norway (26 percent), Finland (16 percent) and Canada (14 percent)^[3]. US imports under HS 810520 (Cobalt, unwrought & intermediate products) are moderately concentrated across supplying countries, with a Herfindahl index of 1,924 and the top three partners supplying 67 percent of value.^[4]

Trade measures in force

The USGS compilation of export controls effective January 2026 records 2 measures bearing on cobalt. Democratic Republic of the Congo maintains an export quota covering Cobalt (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.^[5] Namibia maintains an export ban covering Ores and concentrates of cobalt, graphite, lithium, manganese, and rare earths (2023), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.^[5] A control listed here removes the tonnage concerned from the international market by law, whatever the production table implies about availability.

Recent United States official notices

Federal Register documents naming cobalt, 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.^[6]