All fact sheets · The Strata Memo
Barite
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Photo Ivar Leidus. “Barite - Cerro Warihuyn, Miraflores, Huamalies, Huanuco, Peru.jpg.” CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikimedia Commons. File page
What it is
Barium sulfate.
“a mineral consisting of barium sulfate (BaSO4)”
Source: Wikipedia contributors, Baryte (composition line) (text as saved)
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. barite use was met by imports in 2025 (USGS net import reliance).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite (February 2026)
Did you know?
In 1774 Swedish chemist Carl Scheele identified baryte as containing a new element, which became barium.
Checked against two independent sources. Verified 2026-10-26.
Sources: Wikipedia · Chemistry Explained (encyclopedia) (Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA)
How concentrated is supply?
71% of world production comes from three countries (India, 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: Barite (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
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| India | 34% |
| China | 25% |
| Morocco | 11% |
| Kazakhstan | 8% |
| Iran | 3% |
| Mexico | 3% |
Where the reserves are
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| China | 30% |
| Iran | 25% |
| Kazakhstan | 21% |
| India | 13% |
| Turkey | 8% |
| Russia | 3% |
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: Barite (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.
- India39%
- China21%
- Morocco19%
- Mexico14%
- Other countries7%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| India | 39% | 39.0% |
| China | 21% | 21.0% |
| Morocco | 19% | 19.0% |
| Mexico | 14% | 14.0% |
| Other countries | 7% | 7.0% |
Average share of U.S. imports of all forms, 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: Barite (February 2026)
- India23% · $52.1M
- Vietnam20% · $45.3M
- Mexico16% · $38.0M
- Morocco16% · $36.6M
- Laos14% · $33.2M
- China10% · $22.7M
- All other countries1% · $3.4M
| Country | U.S. imports, 2025 | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| India | 23% · $52.1M | 22.5% |
| Vietnam | 20% · $45.3M | 19.6% |
| Mexico | 16% · $38.0M | 16.4% |
| Morocco | 16% · $36.6M | 15.8% |
| Laos | 14% · $33.2M | 14.4% |
| China | 10% · $22.7M | 9.8% |
| All other countries | 1% · $3.4M | 1.5% |
U.S. general imports (customs value) in calendar 2025 under HS 2511; 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, average unit value, ground, ex-works, dollars per metric ton
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2511 | Natural barium sulfate (barytes); natural barium carbonate (witherite), whether or not calcined, other than barium oxide of heading 2816 | varies, $1.25/t; Free | varies, $3.94/t; $7.38/t; 30% |
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 2511
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| India | 23% · $52.1M |
| Vietnam | 20% · $45.3M |
| Mexico | 16% · $38.0M |
| Morocco | 16% · $36.6M |
| Laos | 14% · $33.2M |
| China | 10% · $22.7M |
U.S. exports in 2025 by destination, code 2511
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Canada | 61% · $9.7M |
| Mexico | 29% · $4.7M |
| El Salvador | 4% · $703K |
| Thailand | 1% · $221K |
| Colombia | 1% · $186K |
| Trinidad And Tobago | 1% · $85K |
2511 Natural barium sulfate; nat barium carbonate nesoi
Top import sources India 23%, Vietnam 20%, Mexico 16%
Top export destinations Canada 61%, Mexico 29%, El Salvador 4%
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
Three companies mined barite at four Nevada operations in 2025; production data were withheld as proprietary. (U.S. activity)
The source says
“In 2025, three companies mined barite at four operations in Nevada.”
“Mine production increased, but data were withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Barite (PDF page 52) (2026-02)
Ore processing and primary recovery
No sourced data yet.
Refining and separation
No sourced data yet.
Metal, alloy and chemical
Companies in nine States ground an estimated 2.3 million tons of barite from domestic production and imports; imports came from India (39%), China (21%) and Morocco (19%) in 2021-24. (partly U.S.)
The source says
“An estimated 2.3 million tons of barite (from domestic production and imports) was sold by companies that operated crushers and grinders in nine States.”
“India, 39%; China,6 21%; Morocco, 19%; Mexico, 14%; and other, 7%.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Barite (PDF page 52) (2026-02)
Components and end use
More than 90% of U.S. barite is used as a weighting agent in oil and gas drilling fluids. (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“Typically, more than 90% of the barite sold in the United States is used as a weighting agent in fluids used in the drilling of oil and natural gas wells.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Barite (PDF page 52) (2026-02)
Recycling
USGS lists barite recycling as none. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“Recycling: None.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Barite (PDF page 52) (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
Board of Regents of Nevada System of Higher Education · Department of the Interior · $444.1K obligated · started 2025-09-01
Source: usaspending.gov, retrieved 2026-10-29
University of Kentucky Research Foundation, The · Department of the Interior · $50.4K obligated · started 2023-08-01
Source: usaspending.gov, retrieved 2026-10-29
The 2 largest of 2 AI-tagged awards from USAspending (last 12 months, found by keyword; some are only loosely about this mineral). See all awards for Barite.
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.
Barite: USGS tables
United States
| Measure | Unit | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net import relianceas a percentage of apparent consumption | percent | >75 | >75 |
| Production: Sold or used, mine | thousand metric tons | W | W |
| Production: Ground and crushed | thousand metric tons | 2,280 | 2,300 |
| Imports: For consumption | thousand metric tons | 1,880 | 2,300 |
| Imports: General | thousand metric tons | 1,810 | 1,700 |
| Exports | thousand metric tons | 65 | 67 |
| Consumption, apparent (crude and ground) | thousand metric tons | W | W |
| Price, average unit value, ground, ex-works, dollars per metric ton | dollars per metric ton | 210 | 210 |
| Employment, mine and mill, number | number | 400 | 400 |
World production (thousand metric tons; top 6 of 11, plus other countries)
| Country | 2024 | 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 2,600 | 3,000 | 34% |
| China | 2,100 | 2,200 | 25% |
| Morocco | 930 | 1,000 | 11% |
| Kazakhstan | 650 | 700 | 8% |
| Iran | 300 | 300 | 3% |
| Mexico | 244 | 300 | 3% |
| Other countries | 340 | 350 | 4% |
World total 2025: 8,700 thousand metric tons (as printed by USGS, rounded).
World reserves (thousand metric tons; top 6 of 11, plus other countries)
| Country | 2025 |
|---|---|
| China | 120,000 |
| Iran | 100,000 |
| Kazakhstan | 85,000 |
| India | 51,000 |
| Turkey | 34,000 |
| Russia | 12,000 |
| Other countries | NA |
U.S. import sources: All (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| India | 39 |
| China | 21 |
| Morocco | 19 |
| Mexico | 14 |
| Other countries | 7 |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Barite (February 2026)