# Bromine: Stocks

An ocean of supply makes reserve life meaningless

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/stocks/

What this tab covers How much is left and how much is held. For minerals and energy: reserves, current output, years of supply and recycling for the top five countries. For farm commodities: production, ending stocks and stocks-to-use for the top five producers (USDA, October 2026). It also covers inventories and stockpiles.

#### Top five countries: reserves, output and years of supply

| Country | Reserves t bromine content | Current output t bromine content (2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Israel** | – | 200,000 | – | n/a |
| **Jordan** | 360,000 | 110,000 | 3 | n/a |
| **China** | 130,000 | 90,000 | 1 | n/a |
| **Japan** | – | 20,000 | – | n/a |
| **India** | – | 7,000 | – | n/a |

 USGS MCS 2026, Bromine (world production and reserves table). Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### Recycling

Israel's reserves are 'large' and US reserves 11 million t (output withheld). Reserve-to-output years are misleading because brines recharge and seawater holds about 100 trillion t (USGS 2026). Recycling exists but is not measured: HBr from organic reactions is fed back to brine plants, zinc-bromine battery electrolyte is fully recoverable, and BFRs recycle with their polymers (USGS).

Bromine resources are effectively unlimited: seawater alone holds an estimated 100 trillion tons. Reported reserves are 11 million t in the United States and 360,000 t in Jordan, while Israel's are simply 'large'. A reserve life is therefore meaningless. Recycling happens but is unmeasured. By-product hydrogen bromide can be fed back into brines, and zinc-bromine battery electrolyte is fully recoverable. Bromine in plastics usually recycles with the polymer, which can carry old flame retardants into new products. There is no US stockpile.

Some bromide solutions and by-product hydrogen bromide are recycled, and battery bromine is fully recoverable, but the quantity recycled could not be estimated.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/correlation/index.md)
- [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/extraction/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/production/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/movement/index.md)
- [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/criticality/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/bromine/links/index.md)