# Garnet: Criticality

A commercial risk, not a strategic one

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/garnet/criticality/

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 | – | – | – | – | No | Mined 77,000 t of crude garnet in 2025 but relied on imports for 71% of a 270,000 t market, and recycles at two plants (USGS 2026). |
| **EU** | n/a | – | – | – | – | No | Czechia produced about 4,000 t in 2025; garnet is not assessed in the EU CRM study (USGS 2026). |
| **India** | n/a | – | – | – | – | No | Holds 8.6 Mt of reserves but produced about 15,000 t in 2025 after private beach-sand mining was halted; garnet is not on India's 2023 critical list (USGS; IBM). |
| **China** | n/a | – | – | – | – | No | Second-largest producer (280,000 t in 2025) with the largest reserves (37 Mt) (USGS 2026). |
| **Japan** | n/a | – | – | – | – | No | Not among the producers listed by USGS for 2025. |
| **Latin America** | n/a | – | – | – | – | no list | No producers listed by USGS for 2025; Chile has small, unquantified operations (USGS). |
| **Middle East** | n/a | – | – | – | – | no list | No producers listed in the region; Turkey has mined garnet mainly for its own market, without reported data (USGS 2026). |
| **Australia** | n/a | – | – | – | – | No | Largest producer (350,000 t, about 48% of world output in 2025) and home of GMA Garnet and the planned Port Gregory project (USGS; Heavy Minerals PFS 2026). |

 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: n/a. 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.

Garnet is not on the US 2025 or India 2023 critical mineral lists. The risk is commercial rather than strategic. Australia and China supply most of the world, and South Africa's exit shows how one closure can reshape trade. Substitutes exist but cost more or perform worse. Fused aluminium oxide and staurolite compete in blasting, ilmenite and magnetite in filtration, and corundum and diamond in lapping. Recycling softens the import exposure.
 EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No US net import reliance, 2025 71% share of apparent consumption

#### Substitutes

Fused aluminium oxide and staurolite for blasting; ilmenite, magnetite and plastics for filtration; corundum, diamond and fused alumina for lapping; emery in nonskid surfaces

## Other sections

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