Tantalum: Production
How two African countries came to dominate world supply
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.USGS puts world mine output at about 2,500 t of tantalum content in 2024 and 2025. World Mining Data, which counts Ta2O5, shows output rising from 1,705 t in 2020 to 2,776 t in 2024. DR Congo supplies 41% and Rwanda 20%, then Brazil, Ethiopia and Nigeria. The HHI of 2,409 sits near the top of the moderate band. Processing is concentrated elsewhere. China, Germany, Kazakhstan and Thailand were the main sources of US tantalum metal and powder imports in 2021–24.
Tantalum (Ta2O5) · WMD
2020 1,705 2021 1,975 2022 2,118 2023 2,201 2024 2,776 World production, tonnes (World Mining Data 2026).Top producers 2024
DR Congo 41.1% Rwanda 19.6% Brazil 14.4% Ethiopia 7.6% Nigeria 6.8% China 3.6% Australia 2.5% Mozambique 2.0% Concentration: HHI 2,409, moderately concentrated.USGS estimate
World, 2024 2,500 metric tons, tantalum content (mine) World, 2025e 2,500 metric tons, tantalum content (mine)Largest producers by company, global
- AMG (Mibra mine): 300,000 lb Ta processed a year (about 136 t) (2020)
- Artisanal producers and comptoirs in the DRC and Rwanda: 1,700 t Ta (DRC 1,300 t plus Rwanda 400 t) (2025)
Largest producers by company, India
India has no tantalum mine or processing industry of note. It imported only $2.4 million (about 19 t gross) of HS 8103 tantalum products in 2024 and exported $1.0 million (Comtrade). Tantalum is on India's 2023 critical list.