Indium
A soft by-product metal used in touchscreens (ITO) and in indium phosphide — the compound semiconductor behind many high-speed optical lasers.
Indium phosphide (InP) lasers and photodetectors are the engines of 800G/1.6T optical transceivers in AI networks; indium solders are used in chip thermal interfaces.
Beijing has restricted indium exports since Feb 2025; prices rose from ~$250/kg to ~$805/kg by Aug 2026.
Where it's produced
Share of 2025 world refinery production (metric tons). Source: USGS MCS 2026.
Who calls it critical
Membership on each government list. “Strategic” marks a higher tier where the list has one; “group” means included as part of a group such as rare earths or PGMs.
Indium: key questions
- Where is indium mined or produced?
- According to USGS 2025 data, the largest producers are China (69%), South Korea (16%) and Japan (5.9%) of world refinery production.
- Is indium a critical mineral?
- Indium appears on 7 of the 10 official lists we track (United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, Canada).
- Is indium in short supply?
- Our supply status: Tight / restricted. Beijing has restricted indium exports since Feb 2025; prices rose from ~$250/kg to ~$805/kg by Aug 2026.
- Why does indium matter for AI infrastructure?
- Indium phosphide (InP) lasers and photodetectors are the engines of 800G/1.6T optical transceivers in AI networks; indium solders are used in chip thermal interfaces.
Related minerals
ExplorerGallium
TightA by-product of aluminum refining that becomes gallium nitride (GaN) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) — the materials of power electronics, RF chips and lasers.
Germanium
TightA semiconductor metal recovered from zinc and coal ash, essential for fiber-optic cores, infrared optics and high-speed SiGe chips.
Tellurium
WatchA rare by-product of copper refining used in cadmium-telluride solar panels, thermoelectric coolers and phase-change memory.