Cadmium: Stocks
Why the real stock problem is surplus
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 not estimated (USGS: quantitative reserves not available; see zinc reserves) | Current output t Cd (refinery production, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | – | 9,500 | – | n/a |
| Korea, Republic of | – | 4,300 | – | n/a |
| Canada | – | 1,300 | – | n/a |
| Japan | – | 1,300 | – | n/a |
| Kazakhstan | – | 1,100 | – | n/a |
Recycling
USGS gives no cadmium reserves; typical zinc ores carry about 0.03% cadmium, so reserves follow zinc reserves. Mexico and Russia (1,000 t each) are next in output. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 30% (EU CRM 2023). Worldwide, about 20% of 2008 supply came from recycling, mainly NiCd batteries (USGS Circular 1365). The US recycles NiCd batteries at one Ohio plant, but the tonnage is withheld (USGS 2026). No India or China rate is published.
USGS gives no cadmium reserves. They are tied to zinc reserves, since typical zinc ores carry about 0.03% cadmium. The real stock issue is surplus. Because zinc output drives supply, unwanted cadmium can pile up above ground and must be stored and monitored (Nassar et al., pdf p. 6). Recycling is relatively good: the EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 30%, mostly from NiCd batteries. The US stockpile plan for FY2025 covered CdZnTe substrates rather than metal.
Recycling
End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 30% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).Secondary cadmium comes mainly from spent NiCd batteries, plus alloy scrap, electric-arc-furnace dust and CdTe panels.