Asbestos: Criticality

Highly concentrated, yet the opposite of critical

What this tab covers How exposed economies are to a supply disruption: the EU, US and India listings, the concentration score, and a quantified exposure for the US, EU, India, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. Where the EU scored it, a chart of supply risk against economic importance, with import reliance, recycling input and substitutes.

Exposure by region

Region	Exposure	Share of world output	Share of world imports	Share of world exports	Net trade (US$)	On own critical list	Position
US	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No mine since 2002, fibre imports banned since May 2024, and 2025 use of 50 t drawn from stockpiles for chloralkali plants that must convert by 2029-2036 (USGS 2026).
EU	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No production and an EU-wide ban on asbestos use since 2005; not a critical raw material.
India	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No working mine but 22.9 Mt of resources; imported 308,506 t in 2020-21, 63% from Russia, mostly for asbestos-cement sheets (IBM).
China	n/a	16.5%	–	–	–	No	Mined about 250,000 t in 2025 with 7.1 Mt of reserves (USGS).
Japan	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No production; new asbestos use is prohibited.
Latin America	n/a	13.8%	–	–	–	no list	Brazil's single producer exported 166,890 t in 2024 despite a 2017 court ruling that mining and use are unconstitutional; Goias has set a 5-year phase-out once a closure plan is agreed (USGS).
Middle East	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	no list	No production listed by USGS.
Australia	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No production; Australia banned all asbestos use and import from 31 December 2003.

Exposure rating: High when the region is a net importer whose import share is at least three times its share of world output (or, for farm goods, it produces under 70% of what it consumes); Medium for other net importers (or 70-95% self-sufficiency), raised to High when world supply is highly concentrated in another country; Low for net exporters or self-sufficient regions. Net importer status uses tonnage where reported, otherwise value. Output: World Mining Data, 2024. Trade: UN Comtrade (EU = sum of member states, including intra-EU trade). Critical lists: US 2025, EU 2024/1252, India 2023, China 2016 strategic minerals, Japan METI, Australia 2024.

Asbestos is the opposite of a critical mineral. It is not on the US 2025 or India 2023 critical mineral lists. Supply is highly concentrated, but most rich economies have banned it. USGS lists many substitutes: calcium silicate, carbon, cellulose, ceramic, glass and steel fibres, wollastonite and aramid. In chloralkali plants, membrane and mercury cells replace asbestos diaphragms. The US EPA requires most remaining diaphragm users to switch by 2029 and all by 2036, though 2025 litigation could change those dates.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No Production HHI 3,422 highly concentrated US net import reliance, 2025 100% share of apparent consumption

Substitutes

Calcium silicate, carbon, cellulose, ceramic, glass and steel fibres, wollastonite, organic fibres; membrane or mercury cells in chloralkali