Post-transition metal, group 13
What is gallium? Properties, uses, supply and price
Gallium (Ga) is a post-transition metal (atomic number 31) recovered as a byproduct of alumina refining and used in compound semiconductors. China produced 99% of primary low-purity gallium in 2025.
Facts from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · reviewed 28 October 2026
Gallium key facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol, atomic number | Ga, 31 |
| Group | Post-transition metal, group 13 |
| Main source | Byproduct of bauxite (alumina) refining |
| World primary production, 2025 | About 900 t; China 99% |
| US primary production | None since 1987 |
| US net import reliance | 100% |
Where gallium comes from
A trace element in bauxite
Bauxite contains about 50 parts per million gallium on average, and zinc ores up to 50 ppm. Gallium in world bauxite resources exceeds 1 million tonnes (USGS). It is recovered from the liquor of the Bayer alumina process, so output depends on alumina refineries, not on gallium prices.
Projects outside China
USGS lists announced gallium projects in Australia, Canada, Greece, Kazakhstan and Korea. In the US, the Department of Energy announced up to $6 million for recovery from alumina or zinc processing in September 2025, and the Department of War awarded $29.9 million in November 2025 for a Louisiana demonstration plant recovering gallium and scandium from industrial waste.
What gallium is used for
| End use | Weight | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated circuits (GaAs, GaN) | 73% of US consumption | Defense, high-performance computing, telecom |
| Optoelectronics (LEDs, lasers, photodetectors) | 26% of US consumption | Aerospace, consumer goods, medical and telecom equipment |
Substitutes and recycling
Substitutes
Liquid crystals can replace LEDs in displays, silicon CMOS competes with GaAs power amplifiers in mid-tier handsets, and silicon competes in solar cells. USGS notes that in many defense applications no effective substitute exists for GaAs and GaN.
Recycling
There is no old-scrap recycling in the US. New scrap from GaAs device manufacturing is reprocessed at one facility in New York.
Policy and supply security
Chinese controls
Gallium has needed a Chinese export licence since August 2023. China banned exports to the US in December 2024 and suspended that ban in November 2025 until 27 November 2026.
Dated events and export-control steps are on the China export-control timeline. Listed companies with exposure: Gallium and germanium stocks.
Gallium: frequently asked questions
What is gallium used for?
Gallium arsenide and gallium nitride semiconductors: integrated circuits (73% of US consumption), and LEDs, laser diodes and photodetectors (26%).
Where does gallium come from?
As a byproduct of alumina refining from bauxite, and in smaller amounts from zinc processing. China made 99% of the world's primary low-purity gallium in 2025.
Why is gallium a critical mineral?
The US has no primary gallium production, relies on imports for all of its metal and depends on China for most primary supply. Chinese export controls since 2023 turned that dependence into a pricing risk.
How much does gallium cost?
The reference price is $2,866.37 per kg as of 27 October 2026, +66.40% year to date.
Related elements
Sources
Information only, not investment advice. Reviewed 28 October 2026.