Kyanite: Criticality

Not officially critical, but furnaces stop without it

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	The leading kyanite producer (80,000 t in 2025), a net exporter (37,000 t exported) and home of synthetic mullite output; not on the US critical list (USGS 2026).
EU	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	France mined about 60,000 t of andalusite in 2025 (USGS), mainly at Imerys's Glomel mine; not on the EU 2023 critical list.
India	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Large resources but only 2,500 t of kyanite and sillimanite in 2025 (USGS) and dependent on imported andalusite, 79% from South Africa in 2021-22 (IBM).
China	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Produced about 50,000 t of andalusite crude ore in 2025 with 5 Mt of reserves, and exported under 7,000 t (USGS).
Japan	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	No listed output; bought 10% of India's sillimanite exports in 2021-22 (IBM).
Latin America	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	Peru mined about 40,000 t of andalusite in 2025 (USGS); Brazil may produce but output is not estimated.
Middle East	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	Iran produced andalusite from three andalusite-garnet mines, but output is not estimated (USGS).
Australia	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Not a listed producer (USGS 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.

Kyanite minerals are not on the US 2025 or India 2023 critical mineral lists. They matter to steel, glass and cement makers because furnaces cannot run without refractories. Supply of andalusite is concentrated in South Africa, France, Peru and China and has been disrupted repeatedly. Substitution is available but at a cost. Fused and sintered synthetic mullite made from bauxite, kaolin and silica sand, superduty fireclays and high-alumina materials can replace kyanite. The vulnerability is price and quality, not physical absence.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list No India 2023 list No

Substitutes

Fused and sintered synthetic mullite, superduty fire clays and high-alumina materials