CMI Hit List of 18 Critical Minerals

 As part of its mission, the Critical Minerals Institute (CMI) maintains a "Hit List" of 18 essential minerals deemed critical for sustaining Western economic growth. This list is curated by monitoring 10 international lists that track a total of 51 critical minerals. CMI prioritizes 5 of these minerals due to their strategic importance in key industries and vulnerabilities in the supply chain. The monitoring of critical minerals worldwide is overseen by CMI Executive Director Alastair Neill, P.Eng. For discussions on the CMI Hit List, contact Alastair at Alastair@CriticalMineralsInstitute.com. 

The Top 5 Criticals on the CMI Hit List are:

1. Copper
2. Lithium
3. PGMs (Platinum Group of Metals)
4. Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
5. Uranium

Selection Process

To determine which minerals are critical, CMI tracks global lists that highlight the most essential minerals for economic and technological advancement. Minerals that appear on at least 7 of the 10 international lists are selected for inclusion in the CMI Hit List. CMI prioritizes these minerals based on their critical role in modern industries and their supply risk due to geopolitical or market factors.

The Full CMI Hit List:

1. Antimony
2. Cobalt
3. Copper
4. Fluorspar
5. Gallium
6. Graphite
7. Lithium
8. Nickel
9. Niobium
10. Magnesium
11. PGMs (Platinum Group of Metals)
12. Rare Earth Elements (REEs)
13. Silicon
14. Tantalum
15. Tellurium
16. Tungsten
17. Uranium
18. Vanadium

Global Supply Sources:

• Cobalt: DRC 74%
• Gallium: China 98%
• Lithium: Australia 48%, Chile 24%
• PGMs: South Africa 49%, Russia 30%
• REEs: China 69%
• Antimony: China 48%, Tajikistan 25%
• Bismuth: China 80%
• Graphite: China 77%
• Nickel: Indonesia 50%
• Niobium: Brazil 90%
• Magnesium: China 88%
• Tantalum: DRC 41%, Rwanda 22%
• Tungsten:  China 81%
• Vanadium: China 68%
• Germanium: China 94%
• Indium: China 66%
• Silicon (Silicon Metal): China 69%
• Tellurium: China 59%
• Titanium (Titanium Metal): China 36%, Mozambique 19%
• Copper: Chile 23%, Misc. 14%, Peru 12%
• Fluorspar: China 65%
• Uranium: Kazakhstan 45%, Namibia 12%

By prioritizing these minerals, CMI focuses its efforts on securing supply chains, addressing market volatility, and supporting industry innovation, ensuring the strategic development of the critical minerals market globally.