# Tellurium: Stocks

Why tellurium reserves cannot be counted

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/commodities/tellurium/stocks/

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 not estimated (USGS: reserves cannot be reliably quantified) | Current output t Te (refinery production, 2025e) | Years of supply | Recycling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **China** | – | 800 | – | n/a |
| **Russia** | – | 67 | – | n/a |
| **Japan** | – | 61 | – | n/a |
| **Sweden** | – | 48 | – | n/a |
| **Canada** | – | 28 | – | n/a |

 USGS MCS 2026, Tellurium (world refinery production and capacity table). Years of supply = reserves ÷ current output; reserves grow as prices and technology change, so this is not a countdown.

#### Recycling

USGS gives refinery capacity, not reserves: China 1,000 t, Japan 75 t, Russia 80 t, Sweden 50 t, Uzbekistan 50 t, Canada 30 t, world 1,300 t (2025). US output is withheld. Older IBM figures put world reserves at about 31,000 t (IBM 2020, citing USGS), but USGS no longer publishes them. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is about 1% (EU CRM 2023). US CdTe module recycling exists but is small because most panels are young (USGS 2026). No India or China recycling rate is published.

USGS says tellurium reserves cannot be reliably quantified. The practical resource is the tellurium in copper ore that passes through electrolytic refineries. Copper produced by leaching bypasses anode slimes, so its tellurium is not captured. Recycling has begun with CdTe solar modules, but most installed panels are too young to retire. The EU end-of-life recycling input rate is 1%. US producer stocks are withheld, and there is no US government stockpile.

#### Recycling
 End-of-life recycling input rate in the EU: 1% of demand met from post-consumer scrap (EU CRM study 2023).

Tellurium was recycled from CdTe solar cells in the US, but quantities were limited because most cells had not reached the end of their useful life.

## Other sections

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