All fact sheets · The Strata Memo
Cesium
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Chemical details
- State at room conditions
- Solid
- Melting point
- 302 K (28 °C)
- Boiling point
- 944 K (671 °C)
- Density
- 1.93 g/cm³
- Common oxidation states
- +1
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 0.79
- Atomic radius
- 343 pm
- First ionization energy
- 3.894 eV
- Discovered
- 1860
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubChem, Periodic Table of Elements (element Cesium) (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. cesium use was met by imports in 2025 (USGS net import reliance).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cesium (February 2026)
Did you know?
Cesium melts at 28.5 °C, just above room temperature, making it one of only five metals that are liquid at or near room temperature.
Checked against two independent sources. Verified 2026-10-26.
Sources: Wikipedia · Los Alamos National Laboratory periodic table (Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA)
Supply
Who produces it, where the reserves are, where U.S. imports come from, and how U.S. supply has moved.
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.
- China45% · $9.6M
- Germany42% · $8.9M
- France10% · $2.2M
- India1% · $125K
- United Kingdom0% · $92K
- Korea, South0% · $55K
- All other countries1% · $137K
| Country | U.S. imports, 2025 | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| China | 45% · $9.6M | 45.5% |
| Germany | 42% · $8.9M | 42.2% |
| France | 10% · $2.2M | 10.4% |
| India | 1% · $125K | 0.6% |
| United Kingdom | 0% · $92K | 0.4% |
| Korea, South | 0% · $55K | 0.3% |
| All other countries | 1% · $137K | 0.6% |
U.S. general imports (customs value) in calendar 2025 under HS 2805.19; 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)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2805.19 | Alkali or alkaline-earth metals: Other | Free to 5.5% | 25% |
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 2805.19
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| China | 45% · $9.6M |
| Germany | 42% · $8.9M |
| France | 10% · $2.2M |
| India | 1% · $125K |
| United Kingdom | 0% · $92K |
| Korea, South | 0% · $55K |
U.S. exports in 2025 by destination, code 2805.19
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 33% · $11.7M |
| Belgium | 17% · $6.0M |
| Netherlands | 11% · $3.8M |
| China | 7% · $2.6M |
| Dominican Republic | 4% · $1.6M |
| Canada | 4% · $1.4M |
2805.19 Alkali metals except sodium
Top import sources China 45%, Germany 42%, France 10%
Top export destinations United Kingdom 33%, Belgium 17%, Netherlands 11%
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 bottleneck
No cesium was mined in the United States in 2025, which was 100% net import reliant for cesium minerals. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“In 2025, no cesium was mined domestically, and the United States was 100% net import reliant for cesium minerals.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cesium (PDF page 68) (2026-02)
Ore processing and primary recovery
USGS has had no reliable data on the source of U.S. cesium ore imports since 1988; one Canadian company reported intermittent cesium production at the Tanco Mine in 2025. (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“No reliable data have been available to determine the source of cesium ore imported by the United States since 1988.”
“During 2025, one company in Canada reported intermittent cesium production and processing from mined ore and stockpiles at the Tanco Mine.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cesium (PDF page 68) (2026-02)
Refining and separation
No sourced data yet.
Metal, alloy and chemical
China and Germany were estimated to be the sources of U.S. cesium chemicals. (no U.S. activity)
The source says
“Based on recent import data, it was estimated that China and Germany were sources of cesium chemicals.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cesium (PDF page 68) (2026-02)
Components and end use
Cesium carbonate and hydroxide are the leading cesium products consumed globally. (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“cesium carbonate and hydroxide are the leading cesium products consumed globally”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cesium (PDF page 68) (2026-02)
Recycling
Cesium formate drilling brines are returned and reprocessed, recovering nearly 85% of the brines. (partly U.S.)
The source says
“Cesium formate brines are recycled, recovering nearly 85% of the brines for recycling to be reprocessed for further use.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Cesium (PDF page 68) (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
Regents of the University of Minnesota · Department of the Interior · $318.5K 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 Cesium.
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.
Cesium: USGS tables
United States
| Measure | Unit | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| The United States was 100% net import reliant for its cesium needs | percent | 100 |
| 1?gram ampoules of 99.8% (metal basis) cesium | dollars per gram | 104 |
| 1?gram ampoules of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium | dollars per gram | 132 |
| 50 grams of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium acetate | dollars per 50 grams | 161 |
| 50 grams of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium bromide | dollars per 50 grams | 111 |
| 50 grams of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium carbonate | dollars per 50 grams | 146.4 |
| 50 grams of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium chloride | dollars per 50 grams | 166 |
| 50 grams of 99.9% (metal basis) cesium iodide | dollars per 50 grams | 185.8 |
| cesium-plasma standard solution (10,000 micrograms per milliliter) , 100 milliliters | dollars per 100 mililiters | 155 |
| 25 grams of 98% (metal basis) cesium formate | dollars per 25 grams | 56.1 |
World reserves
USGS note: Australia, Canada, China, and Namibia were estimated to have reserves totaling less than 200,000 tons. Other countries: <200,000 tons.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Cesium (February 2026)