The United States produces roughly two-thirds of the world's beryllium. What beryllium is, where it is irreplaceable, and why Washington guards it.
Last updated: October 2026
Beryllium is the lightest structural metal, stiffer than steel and transparent to X-rays. The United States produces roughly two-thirds of world mine output, almost all of it from a single mountain in Utah — and the metal is so toxic to process that only a handful of facilities on Earth can handle it.
| # | Country | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | ~64% |
| 2 | China | ~10% |
| 3 | Kazakhstan | ~8% |
| 4 | Madagascar | Small |
| 5 | Brazil | Small |
Mine production shares, 2024 (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025). Small producers also include Mozambique and Portugal.
Beryllium is a light, steel-grey metal: the lightest structural metal, six times stiffer than steel per unit of weight, transparent to X-rays, and stable at high temperatures. It is mined mainly from bertrandite ore at Spor Mountain, Utah, and from beryl.
Aerospace and defence (guidance systems, satellites, fighter-jet components), copper-beryllium alloys for springs, connectors and non-sparking tools, X-ray windows, nuclear reactors, and high-end audio and optics.
The United States, with roughly 64% of world mine production (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025), from Materion's Spor Mountain bertrandite mine in Utah — the world's largest beryllium source.
China is a minor beryllium producer, at roughly 10% of world mine output, and a net importer of beryllium products. The United States, not China, dominates this supply chain.
High for defence. US production dominates, processing is limited to a handful of facilities because beryllium dust is highly toxic, and there is no easy substitute in guidance systems and X-ray windows. For most civilian uses the volumes are tiny, which limits the broader economic exposure.
Beryllium is the lightest structural metal, stiffer than steel and transparent to X-rays. The United States produces roughly two-thirds of world output from a single mountain in Utah. Its dust is highly toxic, so only a handful of facilities can process it — a defence chokepoint that runs in America's favour.
Beryllium is a light, steel-grey metal: the lightest structural metal, six times stiffer than steel per unit of weight, transparent to X-rays, and stable at high temperatures. It is mined mainly from bertrandite ore at Spor Mountain, Utah, and from beryl.
Aerospace and defence (guidance systems, satellites, fighter-jet components), copper-beryllium alloys for springs, connectors and non-sparking tools, X-ray windows, nuclear reactors, and high-end audio and optics.
The United States, with roughly 64% of world mine production (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025), from Materion's Spor Mountain bertrandite mine in Utah — the world's largest beryllium source.
