Molybdenum — Structural brief

Where molybdenum is produced

China is the largest producer of molybdenum, at 37.3 percent of the published world total in 2025^[1]. It is followed by Chile at 16.2 percent, United States at 15.4 percent and Peru at 15.0 percent. The USGS puts world production at 260,000 metric tons; the sum of the country figures is 259,900 metric tons, the difference being rounding in the published total.^[1] Reserves are held principally by China (7,800 thousand metric tons), United States (3,500 thousand metric tons), Chile (2,600 thousand metric tons)^[1].

How concentrated supply is

Measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman index over production shares, molybdenum supply is moderately concentrated, with an index of 2,172. The top three producers hold 68.9 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.

Trade measures in force

The USGS compilation of export controls effective January 2026 records one measure bearing on molybdenum. China maintains an export licensing requirement for materials and technologies covering Antimony (2024), bismuth (2025), synthesized diamond (2025), gallium (2023), germanium (2023), graphite (2023), indium (2025), magnesium materials (2024), molybdenum (2025), rare earths (2025), silver (2026), tellurium (2025), tungsten (2025), and items related to lithium batteries and artificial graphite anode materials (2025), as compiled by the USGS from official and reported sources effective January 2026.^[2] A control listed here removes the tonnage concerned from the international market by law, whatever the production table implies about availability.