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Silver
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Chemical details
- State at room conditions
- Solid
- Melting point
- 1,235 K (962 °C)
- Boiling point
- 2,435 K (2,162 °C)
- Density
- 10.501 g/cm³
- Common oxidation states
- +1
- Electronegativity (Pauling)
- 1.93
- Atomic radius
- 172 pm
- First ionization energy
- 7.576 eV
- Discovered
- Ancient
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine, PubChem, Periodic Table of Elements (element Silver) (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. silver use was met by imports in 2025 (USGS net import reliance).
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver (February 2026)
Did you know?
In ancient Egypt silver was for a long time more valuable than gold because it was so rare.
Checked against two independent sources. Verified 2026-10-26.
Sources: Wikipedia · Global Egyptian Museum (Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities/Bibliotheca Alexandrina project) (Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA)
How concentrated is supply?
51% of world production comes from three countries (Mexico, Peru, China). 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: Silver (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 |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 24% |
| Peru | 14% |
| China | 13% |
| Bolivia | 6% |
| Chile | 5% |
| Poland | 5% |
Where the reserves are
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Peru | 18% |
| Russia | 15% |
| Australia | 15% |
| China | 11% |
| Poland | 10% |
| Mexico | 6% |
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: Silver (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.
- Mexico47%
- Canada18%
- Chile5%
- Turkey5%
- Other countries25%
| Country | Share of U.S. imports | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 47% | 47.0% |
| Canada | 18% | 18.0% |
| Chile | 5% | 5.0% |
| Turkey | 5% | 5.0% |
| Other countries | 25% | 25.0% |
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: Silver (February 2026)
- Mexico47% · $4.0B
- Canada13% · $1.1B
- Korea, South9% · $758.1M
- Kazakhstan5% · $449.9M
- Germany5% · $391.6M
- Poland4% · $332.4M
- All other countries16% · $1.4B
| Country | U.S. imports, 2025 | Share of this chart |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 47% · $4.0B | 47.5% |
| Canada | 13% · $1.1B | 13.2% |
| Korea, South | 9% · $758.1M | 9.0% |
| Kazakhstan | 5% · $449.9M | 5.3% |
| Germany | 5% · $391.6M | 4.6% |
| Poland | 4% · $332.4M | 3.9% |
| All other countries | 16% · $1.4B | 16.4% |
U.S. general imports (customs value) in calendar 2025 under HS 7106; 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)
U.S. supply mix
metric tons, 2021 to 2025
Imports are before exports, so the stack is not the same as U.S. consumption.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver (February 2026)
Price
Price, bullion, average, dollars per troy ounce
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7106 | Silver (including silver plated with gold or platinum), unwrought or in semimanufactured forms, or in powder form | Free to 3% * | Free to 65% |
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. An asterisk means the schedule footnotes point to Chapter 99 additional-duty headings. 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 7106
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 47% · $4.0B |
| Canada | 13% · $1.1B |
| Korea, South | 9% · $758.1M |
| Kazakhstan | 5% · $449.9M |
| Germany | 5% · $391.6M |
| Poland | 4% · $332.4M |
U.S. exports in 2025 by destination, code 7106
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 58% · $4.9B |
| Canada | 14% · $1.2B |
| Switzerland | 7% · $551.4M |
| India | 6% · $486.7M |
| United Arab Emirates | 3% · $249.7M |
| Turkey | 2% · $207.0M |
7106 Silver (incl prec plated), unwr, semimfr or powder
Top import sources Mexico 47%, Canada 13%, Korea, South 9%
Top export destinations United Kingdom 58%, Canada 14%, Switzerland 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
U.S. mines produced about 1,100 tons of silver in 2025, at 4 silver mines and as a byproduct or coproduct at 31 other operations. (U.S. activity)
The source says
“U.S. mines produced approximately 1,100 tons of silver”
“Silver was produced at 4 silver mines and as a byproduct or coproduct from 31 domestic base- and precious-metal operations.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver (PDF page 176) (2026-02)
Ore processing and primary recovery
Alaska's Greens Creek mine runs a surface mill that uses flotation and gravity processes to recover silver along with gold, lead and zinc. (partly U.S.)
The source says
“The Greens Creek Mine is an underground cut-and-fill and long-hole stoping operation using flotation and gravity processes to recover silver, gold, lead, and zinc.”
“The major mine facilities include the underground mine, surface mill, dry stack tailings storage facility, wastewater treatment plant, administrative and camp facilities, ferry dock, and ship-loading facility.”
“The mine is located in southeast Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest near Hawk Inlet on Admiralty Island National Monument, approximately 18 miles southwest of Juneau”
Source: Alaska Division of Mining, Land and Water, Greens Creek Mine (2026)
Refining and separation
Twenty-four U.S. refiners reported commercial-grade silver output, an estimated 2,100 tons from ores, concentrates and scrap. (U.S. activity)
The source says
“There were 24 U.S. refiners that reported production of commercial-grade silver with an estimated total output of 2,100 tons from domestic and foreign ores and concentrates and from new and old scrap.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver (PDF page 176) (2026-02)
Metal, alloy and chemical
Silver imports came from Mexico (47%) and Canada (18%) in 2021-24. (partly U.S.)
The source says
“Mexico, 47%; Canada, 18%; Chile and Turkey, 5% each; and other, 25%.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver (PDF page 176) (2026-02)
Components and end use
Electrical and electronics took 25% of U.S. silver, then industrial uses and photography (19%), investment bars (18%) and photovoltaics (15%). (U.S. role not stated)
The source says
“the estimated domestic uses for silver were in electrical and electronics, 25%; other industrial uses and photography, 19%; net physical investment (bars), 18%; photovoltaics (PV), 15%”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver (PDF page 176) (2026-02)
Recycling
About 1,000 tons of silver was recovered from scrap in 2025, about 11% of apparent consumption. (U.S. activity)
The source says
“approximately 1,000 tons of silver was recovered from new and old scrap, accounting for about 11% of apparent consumption.”
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Silver (PDF page 176) (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.
Mines, plants and partners
Named facilities with their operators and locations, as each source describes them on the date shown. 5 sourced entries for Silver.
Mining
Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company (HGCMC)
Admiralty Island near Hawk Inlet, about 18 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, United States · Operating
The source says
“The Greens Creek Mine is an underground cut-and-fill and long-hole stoping operation using flotation and gravity processes to recover silver, gold, lead, and zinc.”
“The mine is located in southeast Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest near Hawk Inlet on Admiralty Island National Monument, approximately 18 miles southwest of Juneau”
“The project is operated by Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company (HGCMC).”
Source: Alaska Division of Mining, Land and Water, Greens Creek Mine (2026)
Ore processing and primary recovery
Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company (HGCMC)
Admiralty Island near Hawk Inlet, about 18 miles southwest of Juneau, Alaska, United States · Operating
The source says
“The major mine facilities include the underground mine, surface mill, dry stack tailings storage facility, wastewater treatment plant, administrative and camp facilities, ferry dock, and ship-loading facility.”
“The mine is located in southeast Alaska, in the Tongass National Forest near Hawk Inlet on Admiralty Island National Monument, approximately 18 miles southwest of Juneau”
“The project is operated by Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company (HGCMC).”
Source: Alaska Division of Mining, Land and Water, Greens Creek Mine (2026)
Sibanye-Stillwater
Columbus, Montana, United States · Status not stated
The source says
“Stillwater and East Boulder are platinum/palladium mines operated by Sibanye-Stillwater in Montana, US.”
“The concentrates are further processed at the company’s smelter and base metals refinery in Columbus, Montana.”
“the concentrate is upgraded to produce matte containing approximately 16,000g/t PGMs, plus small amounts of rhodium, gold, nickel, copper and silver.”
Source: Mining Technology, Stillwater and East Boulder Platinum and Palladium Mine, Montana, USA (2020-04-24)
Refining and separation
Freeport-McMoRan (100%)
El Paso, Texas, United States · Operating
The source says
“The El Paso refinery has the potential to operate at an annual production capacity of about 900 million pounds of copper cathode, which is sufficient to refine all of the copper anode we produce at our Miami, Arizona operation.”
“The Copper Refinery and Rod Mill is located in east-central El Paso, which is in the far western corner of Texas near the U.S.-Mexico border and the Rio Grande River.”
“Our El Paso refinery also produces nickel carbonate, copper telluride and autoclaved slimes material containing gold, silver, platinum and palladium.”
Source: Freeport-McMoRan, Operations: North America (United States) (2026)
Recycling
Umicore
Hoboken, Belgium, Belgium · Operating
The source says
“About Umicore Belgium”
“At Umicore in Hoboken, we recycle 17 different metals, including gold, silver, platinum, rhodium and palladium.”
“The precious metals refining site in Hoboken is one of a kind and the largest in the world.”
Source: Umicore Belgium, Hoboken: Activities (2026)
A curated list, not a complete register: it shows facilities we could confirm in a source page, and a missing name means we have not sourced it, not that it does not exist. Each quoted passage is checked against the saved page. Partnerships are listed only where the source states them.
Policy and funding
Federal items we track for this mineral, each linked to its original.
Policy timeline and funding
No tagged items for this mineral yet. Browse all items.
Data tables
The USGS figures behind the charts. Click a column heading to sort.
Silver: USGS tables
United States
| Measure | Unit | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net import reliance as a percentage of apparent consumption | percent | 68 | 77 |
| Production: Mine | metric tons | 1,050 | 1,100 |
| Production: Refinery: Primary | metric tons | 1,140 | 1,100 |
| Production: Refinery: Secondary (new and old scrap) | metric tons | 955 | 1,000 |
| Imports for consumption | metric tons | 4,430 | 7,600 |
| Exports | metric tons | 113 | 300 |
| Consumption, apparent | metric tons | 6,320 | 9,400 |
| Price, bullion, average, dollars per troy ounce | dollars per troy ounce | 28.37 | 38 |
| Stocks, yearend: Industry | metric tons | 23 | 25 |
| Stocks, yearend: Treasury | metric tons | 498 | 498 |
| Stocks, yearend: New York Commodities Exchange—COMEX | metric tons | 9,910 | 15,000 |
| Employment, mine and mill, number | number | 1,485 | 1,300 |
World production (metric tons; top 6 of 14, plus other countries)
| Country | 2024 | 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 5,780 | 6,300 | 24% |
| Peru | 3,510 | 3,600 | 14% |
| China | 3,430 | 3,400 | 13% |
| Bolivia | 1,490 | 1,500 | 6% |
| Chile | 1,200 | 1,400 | 5% |
| Poland | 1,320 | 1,300 | 5% |
| Other countries | 2,110 | 2,100 | 8% |
World total 2025: 26,000 metric tons (as printed by USGS, rounded).
World reserves (metric tons; top 6 of 14, plus other countries)
| Country | 2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Peru | 110,000 | 18% |
| Russia | 92,000 | 15% |
| Australia | 91,000 | 15% |
| China | 67,000 | 11% |
| Poland | 59,000 | 10% |
| Mexico | 37,000 | 6% |
| Other countries | 57,000 | 9% |
World total 2025: 610,000 metric tons (as printed by USGS, rounded).
U.S. import sources: All (percent of imports, 2021–24)
| Country | Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Mexico | 47 |
| Canada | 18 |
| Chile | 5 |
| Turkey | 5 |
| Other countries | 25 |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Silver (February 2026)