Defence · Dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂)
Magnesium
China produces 86% of the world's primary magnesium metal. Titanium production (the Kroll process), infrared decoy flares, pyrotechnics and light alloys for airframes and armour.
- 86%
- of primary magnesium metal is in China
- 94%
- of EU imports of unwrought magnesium, 99.8% or more from outside the EU came from China in August 2026
- 6
- sites watched from orbit on OreOrbit
Where it is made
Share of world output held by the leading country at each stage. Sources: 2025, USGS.
What Europe imports
In August 2026, the EU imported €12.8 m of unwrought magnesium, 99.8% or more from outside the EU, 94% of it from China.
China everywhere else outside the EU. Monthly value of EU imports, Unwrought magnesium, 99.8% or more. Source: Eurostat Comext.
Why it matters for Europe
The EU has no primary magnesium smelter. The Critical Raw Materials Act lists magnesium as strategic and aims to keep any single supplier below 65% by 2030.
Key figures
- 86% of world primary magnesium was made in China in 2025 (950 of about 1,100 kt) USGS MCS 2026
- 97% of the EU's primary magnesium comes from China; the EU has no smelter of its own SMM, from Eurostat data
Sites on the atlas
- Fugu and Yulin smeltersProcessing plant, China
- Dead Sea MagnesiumProcessing plant, Israel
- RIMA magnesiumProcessing plant, Brazil
- Solikamsk magnesium worksProcessing plant, Russia
- Ust-Kamenogorsk titanium-magnesium plantProcessing plant, Kazakhstan
- US Magnesium (idle)Processing plant, United States
Key questions
Which country controls magnesium?
China produces 86% of the world's primary magnesium metal. Source: USGS MCS 2026.
What is magnesium used for in defence and space?
Titanium production (the Kroll process), infrared decoy flares, pyrotechnics and light alloys for airframes and armour.
Can Europe produce magnesium itself?
The EU has no primary magnesium smelter. The Critical Raw Materials Act lists magnesium as strategic and aims to keep any single supplier below 65% by 2030.
How can a manufacturer check its exposure to magnesium?
OreOrbit's free quick check shows which critical minerals a product type depends on (bohemiadefense.com/atlas/#check). A readiness review by Bohemia Defense maps one product line's actual parts in two to three weeks.