Molybdenum: Stocks

Decades of reserves, with China holding nearly half

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 kt Mo content	Current output kt Mo content (mine, 2025e)	Years of supply	Recycling
China	7,800	97	80	n/a
Chile	2,600	42	62	n/a
United States	3,500	40	88	up to 30% of apparent supply (USGS)
Peru	1,000	39	26	n/a
Mexico	130	17	7.6	n/a

USGS MCS 2026, Molybdenum (world mine production and reserves table). World reserves 17,000 kt, about 65 years of 2025 output.. Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

Recycling

Molybdenum is recycled inside steel, superalloy and catalyst scrap rather than as separate metal. US: may be up to 30% of apparent supply (USGS 2026). EU: end-of-life recycling input rate 30% (EU CRM 2023). No figures for China, Japan or India were found.

USGS reserves are 17 million tonnes, about 65 years of 2025 output. China (7.8 million tonnes), the US (3.5 million) and Chile (2.6 million) lead. Identified resources are about 5.4 million tonnes in the US and 20 million elsewhere. Molybdenum returns inside steel, superalloy and catalyst scrap, perhaps up to 30% of US apparent supply. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is also 30%. There is no separate refining of secondary molybdenum. US consumer stocks are small, about 2,000 tonnes in 2025.

Reserves

World reserves 17,000,000 metric tons, Mo content (USGS reports 17,000 thousand metric tons) Reserve life 65 years at 2025 production China 46% United States 21% Chile 15% Russia 6% Peru 6% Largest reserve holders, share of world reserves (USGS MCS 2026). Reserves are what is economic to extract today, not what exists.

Recycling

End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 30% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).

Molybdenum recycled in new and old steel and other scrap may be as much as 30% of US apparent supply, though there is no separate refining of secondary molybdenum.