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Arsenic
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Chemical details
- State at room conditions
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1,090 K (817 °C)
- Boiling point
- 887 K (614 °C)
- Density
- 5.776 g/cm³
- Common oxidation states
- +5, +3, -3
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 2.18
- Atomic radius
- 185 pm
- First ionization energy
- 9.815 eV
- Discovered
- Ancient
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubChem, Periodic Table of Elements (element Arsenic) (current at retrieval)
On the USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals. Figures: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 (data release, public domain). Estimates are USGS's; check the USGS chapter for notes. Each panel names its source; full citations are in the methodology source register.
Overview
The headline numbers: how much the U.S. depends on imports and how concentrated supply is.
How much does the U.S. import?
of U.S. arsenic use was met by imports in 2025 (USGS net import reliance).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
Did you know?
Of arsenic's several forms, only the grey, metallic-looking one is important to industry.
Checked against two independent sources. Verified 2026-10-26.
Sources: Wikipedia · Live Science (Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA)
How concentrated is supply?
97% of world production comes from three countries (Peru, China, Morocco). Highly concentrated.
Thirds of the bar: under 33%, 33 to 65%, 66% and over. Our own rule of thumb, not a USGS rating.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
Supply
Who produces it, where the reserves are, where U.S. imports come from, and how U.S. supply has moved.
Who has it, and who digs it?
Where it is produced, 2025 (Production (arsenic trioxide, gross weight))
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Peru | 49% |
| China | 39% |
| Morocco | 8% |
| Belgium | 2% |
| Russia | 1% |
Share of the world total as printed by USGS (rounded). Production and reserves are different things: reserves are what is economic to mine. Hover or focus a bar for its value, or switch to the table view.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
Where U.S. imports come from
Choose a data set, then a view. A country keeps the same color in every chart on this page. Grey means other countries, or a country beyond the seven colors (always labeled). Hover or focus a mark for its value, or use the table view.
- Malaysia99%
- Other countries1%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| Malaysia | 99% | 99.0% |
| Other countries | 1% | 1.0% |
Average share of U.S. imports of arsenic acid, 2021–24, as printed by USGS (rounded, so shares may not sum to 100). Other countries are USGS's own grouping.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
- China95%
- Japan3%
- Other countries2%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| China | 95% | 95.0% |
| Japan | 3% | 3.0% |
| Other countries | 2% | 2.0% |
Average share of U.S. imports of arsenic metal, 2021–24, as printed by USGS (rounded, so shares may not sum to 100). Other countries are USGS's own grouping.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
- China61%
- Morocco27%
- Belgium6%
- Other countries6%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| China | 61% | 61.0% |
| Morocco | 27% | 27.0% |
| Belgium | 6% | 6.0% |
| Other countries | 6% | 6.0% |
Average share of U.S. imports of arsenic trioxide, 2021–24, as printed by USGS (rounded, so shares may not sum to 100). Other countries are USGS's own grouping.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
- China45%
- Malaysia30%
- Morocco16%
- Other countries9%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| China | 45% | 45.0% |
| Malaysia | 30% | 30.0% |
| Morocco | 16% | 16.0% |
| Other countries | 9% | 9.0% |
Average share of U.S. imports of all forms of arsenic, 2021–24, as printed by USGS (rounded, so shares may not sum to 100). Other countries are USGS's own grouping.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
- China48% · $1.1M
- Germany36% · $836K
- Japan16% · $378K
- Hong Kong1% · $16K
| Country | U.S. imports, 2025 | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| China | 48% · $1.1M | 47.7% |
| Germany | 36% · $836K | 35.5% |
| Japan | 16% · $378K | 16.1% |
| Hong Kong | 1% · $16K | 0.7% |
U.S. general imports (customs value) in calendar 2025 under HS 2804.80; countries beyond the top six are grouped. The code can include goods beyond this mineral. The Shift view compares each country's share of 2025 with its share of Jan to Aug 2026 (shares of each period's total).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API: U.S. imports by HS code and country (calendar 2025; Jan to Aug 2026) (data months 2025-12, 2026-08)
Price
Price, metal, annual average, U.S. warehouse, dollars per pound
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)
Trade and tariffs
Tariff codes and the countries behind U.S. imports and exports.
Trade codes and tariffs
| HTS code | What it covers | Normal rate | Column 2 rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2804.80 | Arsenic | Free | 13.2¢/kg |
Rates from the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (USITC, saved 2026-10-26). The normal rate is column 1 general; column 2 applies to countries without normal trade relations. A range means different products under the code have different rates. Section 232, Section 301, emergency tariffs and antidumping or countervailing duties are set in separate notices and are not shown. Look up any code at hts.usitc.gov. These are the main codes for this mineral, not a complete list.
Source: U.S. International Trade Commission, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States, general and column 2 rates (edition current when saved)
U.S. trade by country
U.S. imports in 2025 by source country, code 2804.80
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| China | 48% · $1.1M |
| Germany | 36% · $836K |
| Japan | 16% · $378K |
| Hong Kong | 1% · $16K |
U.S. exports in 2025 by destination, code 2804.80
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| India | 40% · $34K |
| Israel | 37% · $31K |
| Singapore | 7% · $6K |
| Germany | 6% · $5K |
| Japan | 6% · $5K |
| Canada | 4% · $3K |
2804.80 Arsenic
Top import sources China 48%, Germany 36%, Japan 16%
Top export destinations India 40%, Israel 37%, Singapore 7%
U.S. Census Bureau International Trade API, saved 2026-10-26. Imports are general imports (customs value) and exports are total exports, in U.S. dollars. Duty collected is Census's calculated duty on imports for consumption. Figures cover every 10-digit product under the code, so they can include goods beyond this mineral, and the duty shown is not split into Section 232, Section 301 or antidumping duties. Bars show the largest code for each direction. Group rows such as the EU or OECD are left out so no country is counted twice.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Trade API: U.S. imports and exports by HS code and country (calendar 2025, and January to Aug 2026) (data months 2025-12, 2026-08)
Value chain and risk
Where in the chain the bottlenecks sit, and what other governments and sources say about supply risk.
Value chain: where the bottlenecks are
Mining
Arsenic is obtained from smelter flue dust or by roasting arsenopyrite, and has been recovered from orpiment and realgar in China, Peru and the Philippines and from copper-gold ores in Chile. (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“Arsenic may be obtained from copper, gold, and lead smelter flue dust, as well as from roasting arsenopyrite, the most abundant ore mineral of arsenic.”
“Arsenic has been recovered from orpiment and realgar in China, Peru, and the Philippines and from copper-gold ores in Chile”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Ore processing and primary recovery
No arsenic was recovered from nonferrous smelter residues and dusts in the United States, while Morocco makes arsenic trioxide from cobalt-arsenide ore of the Bou Azzer mine. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“No arsenic was recovered domestically from arsenic-containing residues and dusts generated at nonferrous smelters in the United States.”
“Arsenic trioxide was produced at the hydrometallurgical complex of Guemassa, near Marrakech, Morocco, from cobalt-arsenide ore from the Bou Azzer mine.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Refining and separation bottleneck
The United States has not produced arsenic trioxide or primary arsenic metal since 1985; Peru, China and Morocco make more than 95% of the world's arsenic trioxide. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“Arsenic trioxide and primary arsenic metal have not been produced in the United States since 1985.”
“Peru, China, and Morocco, in descending order of production, continued to be the leading global producers of arsenic trioxide, accounting for more than 95% of estimated world production in 2025.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Metal, alloy and chemical bottleneck
China supplied more than 80% of U.S. arsenic trioxide imports and more than 90% of arsenic metal imports through July 2025. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“China supplied more than 80% of United States imports of arsenic trioxide and more than 90% of arsenic metal imports through July 2025.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Components and end use
High-purity arsenic metal goes into gallium-arsenide semiconductors for solar cells, space research and telecommunications. (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“High-purity (99.9999%) arsenic metal was used to produce gallium-arsenide (GaAs) semiconductors for solar cells, space research, and telecommunications”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Recycling
No arsenic was recovered domestically from smelter residues and dusts; only new scrap from GaAs manufacturing was recycled. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“Arsenic metal was contained in new scrap recycled during GaAs semiconductor manufacturing.”
“No arsenic was recovered domestically from arsenic-containing residues and dusts generated at nonferrous smelters in the United States.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Arsenic (PDF page 48) (2026-02)
Pilot. Summaries are ours, from official pages; each quoted passage is checked against the saved page. “Bottleneck” (orange dot) is shown only where the quote shows one country dominating the stage or the United States relying on imports for it. “No sourced data yet” means we have not found a source, not that the stage is unproblematic.
Policy and funding
Federal items we track for this mineral, each linked to its original.
Federal awards already made
Alaska Department of Natural Resources · Department of the Interior · $1.6M obligated · started 2026-03-01
Source: usaspending.gov, retrieved 2026-10-29
The 1 largest of 1 AI-tagged awards from USAspending (last 12 months, found by keyword; some are only loosely about this mineral). See all awards for Arsenic.
Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, Bureau of the Fiscal Service, USAspending.gov: spending by award (contracts and grants, last 12 months) (award start dates per item)
Data tables
The USGS figures behind the charts. Click a column heading to sort.
Arsenic: USGS tables
United States
| Measure | Unit | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net import reliance as a percentage of estimated consumption, all forms of arsenic | percent | 100 | 100 |
| Imports for consumption: Arsenic metal | metric tons | 533 | 740 |
| Imports for consumption: Compounds | metric tons | 9,070 | 5,500 |
| Imports for consumption: Total | metric tons | 9,610 | 6,300 |
| Exports, arsenic metal | metric tons | 138 | 51 |
| Consumption, estimated, all forms of arsenic | metric tons | 9,610 | 6,300 |
| Price, metal, annual average, U.S. warehouse, dollars per pound | dollars per pound | 1.97 | 1.85 |
World production: Production (arsenic trioxide, gross weight) (metric tons; top 6 of 7, plus other countries)
| Country | 2024 | 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | 31,000 | 30,000 | 49% |
| China | 24,000 | 24,000 | 39% |
| Morocco | 6,000 | 5,000 | 8% |
| Belgium | 1,000 | 1,000 | 2% |
| Russia | 500 | 500 | 1% |
| United States | — | — |
World total 2025: 61,000 metric tons (as printed by USGS, rounded).
U.S. import sources: Arsenic acid (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Malaysia | 99 |
| Other countries | 1 |
U.S. import sources: Arsenic metal (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| China | 95 |
| Japan | 3 |
| Other countries | 2 |
U.S. import sources: Arsenic trioxide (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| China | 61 |
| Morocco | 27 |
| Belgium | 6 |
| Other countries | 6 |
U.S. import sources: All forms of arsenic (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| China | 45 |
| Malaysia | 30 |
| Morocco | 16 |
| Other countries | 9 |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Arsenic (February 2026)