# Magnesium: Production How China came to smelt nearly all the world's magnesium Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/production/ How China came to smelt nearly all the world's magnesium What this tab covers Who produces it and how much: world output over recent years, the top producing countries with their shares, USGS world figures for 2024 and 2025, and the largest producing companies globally and in India. World Mining Data shows magnesite output falling from 28.3 Mt in 2020 to 21.0 Mt in 2024. China supplied 66.5%, Turkey 7.6% and Brazil 5.9%. An HHI of 4,571 means high concentration. Liaoning province drives China's output and is consolidating: magnesite miners there fell from 114 to 63 between 2020 and 2024. Metal is even more concentrated. USGS estimates China smelted 950,000 t of the world's 1.1 Mt in 2025, about 86%. Russia, Brazil, Israel, Kazakhstan and Turkey make most of the rest. The last US primary smelter stopped in 2022. #### Magnesite ยท WMD 2020 28.3 m 2021 28.1 m 2022 26.2 m 2023 22.7 m 2024 21.0 m World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026). #### Top producers 2024 China 66.5% Turkey 7.6% Brazil 5.9% Russia 4.6% Austria 3.0% Spain 2.9% United States 2.2% Australia 1.9% Concentration: HHI 4,571, highly concentrated. #### USGS estimate World, 2024 21,100 thousand metric tons, magnesite gross weight (mine; excludes US). Metal smelter output: 1,080 (2024) and 1,100 (2025e) thousand t World, 2025e 21,000 thousand metric tons, magnesite gross weight (mine; excludes US). Metal smelter output: 1,080 (2024) and 1,100 (2025e) thousand t #### Largest producers by company, global US Magnesium 0 kt Mg primary, latest reported year. #### Largest producers by company, India India makes no primary magnesium metal and imported about 37,000 t of HS 8104 magnesium and articles worth $108 million in 2024, 5.5% of world imports (Comtrade). It mined 85 kt of magnesite in 2025 and holds 66 Mt of reserves (USGS). Magnesium was not on India's 2023 critical minerals list. ## Other sections - [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/index.md) - [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/overview/index.md) - [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/correlation/index.md) - [Extraction](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/extraction/index.md) - [Stocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/stocks/index.md) - [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/cycles/index.md) - [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/trading/index.md) - [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/movement/index.md) - [Criticality](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/criticality/index.md) - [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/characteristics/index.md) - [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/emissions/index.md) - [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/magnesium/links/index.md)