## Breadcrumb

-  Science 
-  Science Explorer 
-  Minerals 

# Mineral Commodities

Mineral commodities are minerals - or materials derived from minerals - that are bought and sold, such as gold or rare earth elements. The USGS tracks the production, use, and flow of nearly 100 non-fuel mineral commodities.

Key Minerals Information Publications

                  -              Overview           

## Why are mineral commodities important? 

Every aspect of our lives depends on the materials that come from minerals. Lithium and rare earth elements make our phones and laptops function. We live in houses, drive on roads and work in buildings composed of steel, stone and gravel. Even our food is grown with the help of mineral commodities; phosphorous and potash are common components of fertilizer.  Sometimes, we use mineral commodities in surprising ways. Titanium, for instance, is famous for its strength and durability but primarily valued for its role in white dye. When you brush your teeth in the morning, titanium is the reason the toothpaste is so white. 

 

## Mineral Commodities in our Daily Lives 

Mineral Commodity Fact Sheets

## Mineral Commodity Fact Sheets

Do we take minerals for granted?

## Do we take minerals for granted?

Minerals-Related Educational Products

## Minerals-Related Educational Products

## USGS Mineral Commodity Data Collection and Reporting 

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides information to the public and to policymakers about the current use and flow of most nonfuel mineral commodities in the United States.  The National Mineral Information Center, a part of the USGS, is the Nation’s primary provider of publicly available statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials essential to the United States.

The USGS tracks many types of information about nearly 100 nonfuel mineral commodities. 

> 
Nationally, USGS tracks mineral commodity: 

> - amounts produced within the United States 
- amounts used by the United States 
- price changes 
- reliance on other countries 

> 
Globally, USGS tracks mineral commodity: 

> - amounts produced and refined by each country 
- trade relationships between countries 
- global flow 

Commodity Statistics and Information – what USGS tracks

## Commodity Statistics and Information – what USGS tracks

Mineral Commodity Summaries Report

## Mineral Commodity Summaries Report

Mineral Industry Survey Data Collected

## Mineral Industry Survey Data Collected

## USGS Minerals Yearbook 

The USGS sends out over 35,000 surveys to companies in the mineral industry each year to understand mineral production in the United States. Industry survey responses are compiled annually for nonfuel mineral commodities in Minerals Yearbooks. 

Minerals Yearbook Volume I: Metals and Minerals

## Minerals Yearbook Volume I: Metals and Minerals

Minerals Yearbook Volume II: Domestic

## Minerals Yearbook Volume II: Domestic

Minerals Yearbook Volume III: International

## Minerals Yearbook Volume III: International

## Understanding Materials Flow to Inform Decision-Making 

Materials extracted from the Earth are necessary to produce our most fundamental needs - food, clothing, and shelter - and are needed to maintain and improve our standard of living. Understanding the whole system of how materials flow from source to ultimate disposition can help us better manage the use of natural resources, support the economy and national security of the United States, and protect the environment. 

The data collected by the USGS allow us to understand how consumption of mineral commodities has changed in the past and how it might change in the future. These data also provide a picture of the supply chains for different mineral commodities, making it easier to identify potential supply security issues; for instance, if the United States sources much of a commodity from a single country or a mineral is processed at a small number of operations, the supply of that commodity might not be reliable. 

Decision-makers can use insights from materials flow analyses, combined with USGS research about where and how minerals form, to make short- and long-term decisions about where we source minerals and how we use them.

                  - Overview  Why are mineral commodities important? 
Every aspect of our lives depends on the materials that come from minerals. Lithium and rare earth elements make our phones and laptops function. We live in houses, drive on roads and work in buildings composed of steel, stone and gravel. Even our food is grown with the help of mineral commodities; phosphorous and potash are common components of fertilizer.  Sometimes, we use mineral commodities in surprising ways. Titanium, for instance, is famous for its strength and durability but primarily valued for its role in white dye. When you brush your teeth in the morning, titanium is the reason the toothpaste is so white. 

 
Mineral Commodities in our Daily Lives Mineral Commodity Fact SheetsMineral Commodity Fact SheetsDo we take minerals for granted?Do we take minerals for granted?Minerals-Related Educational ProductsMinerals-Related Educational ProductsUSGS Mineral Commodity Data Collection and Reporting 
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides information to the public and to policymakers about the current use and flow of most nonfuel mineral commodities in the United States.  The National Mineral Information Center, a part of the USGS, is the Nation’s primary provider of publicly available statistics and information on the worldwide supply of, demand for, and flow of minerals and materials essential to the United States.

The USGS tracks many types of information about nearly 100 nonfuel mineral commodities. 

Nationally, USGS tracks mineral commodity: 
- amounts produced within the United States 
- amounts used by the United States 
- price changes 
- reliance on other countries 

Globally, USGS tracks mineral commodity: 
- amounts produced and refined by each country 
- trade relationships between countries 
- global flow 
Commodity Statistics and Information – what USGS tracksCommodity Statistics and Information – what USGS tracksMineral Commodity Summaries ReportMineral Commodity Summaries ReportMineral Industry Survey Data CollectedMineral Industry Survey Data CollectedUSGS Minerals Yearbook 
The USGS sends out over 35,000 surveys to companies in the mineral industry each year to understand mineral production in the United States. Industry survey responses are compiled annually for nonfuel mineral commodities in Minerals Yearbooks. 
Minerals Yearbook Volume I: Metals and MineralsMinerals Yearbook Volume I: Metals and MineralsMinerals Yearbook Volume II: DomesticMinerals Yearbook Volume II: DomesticMinerals Yearbook Volume III: InternationalMinerals Yearbook Volume III: InternationalUnderstanding Materials Flow to Inform Decision-Making 
Materials extracted from the Earth are necessary to produce our most fundamental needs - food, clothing, and shelter - and are needed to maintain and improve our standard of living. Understanding the whole system of how materials flow from source to ultimate disposition can help us better manage the use of natural resources, support the economy and national security of the United States, and protect the environment. 

The data collected by the USGS allow us to understand how consumption of mineral commodities has changed in the past and how it might change in the future. These data also provide a picture of the supply chains for different mineral commodities, making it easier to identify potential supply security issues; for instance, if the United States sources much of a commodity from a single country or a mineral is processed at a small number of operations, the supply of that commodity might not be reliable. 

Decision-makers can use insights from materials flow analyses, combined with USGS research about where and how minerals form, to make short- and long-term decisions about where we source minerals and how we use them.