Mcs2022 Nickel

NICKEL
(Data in metric tons of contained nickel unless otherwise noted)
Domestic Production and Use: In 2021, the underground Eagle Mine in Michigan produced approximately
18,000 tons of nickel in concentrate, which was exported to smelters in Canada and overseas. A company in Missouri
recovered metals, including nickel, from mine tailings as part of the Superfund Redevelopment Initiative. Nickel in
crystalline sulfate was produced as a byproduct of smelting and refining platinum-group-metal ores mined in Montana.
In the United States, the leading uses for primary nickel are alloys and steels, electroplating, and other uses
including catalysts and chemicals. Stainless and alloy steel and nickel-containing alloys typically account for more
than 85% of domestic consumption.
Salient Statistics—United States: 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021e

Production:
Mine 22,100 17,600 13,500 16,700 18,000
Refinery, byproduct W W W W W
Imports:
Ores and concentrates 64 3 4 95 24
Primary 150,000 144,000 119,000 105,000 110,000
Secondary 38,100 45,100 37,700 31,800 35,000
Exports:
Ores and concentrates 20,000 18,000 14,300 13,400 15,000
Primary 11,000 9,780 12,800 11,300 10,000
Secondary 51,500 59,400 47,800 34,100 29,000
Consumption:
e
Reported, primary 105,000 107,000 105,000 84,000 82,000
e
Reported, secondary, purchased scrap 133,000 123,000 111,000 99,000 110,000
Apparent, primary1 140,000 136,000 106,000 94,100 100,000
Apparent, total2 273,000 259,000 217,000 e
190,000 210,000
Price, average annual, London Metal Exchange (LME), cash:
Dollars per metric ton 10,403 13,114 13,903 13,772 18,000
Dollars per pound 4.719 5.948 6.306 6.25 8.3
Stocks, yearend:
Consumer 14,600 16,300 13,400 13,000 13,000
LME U.S. warehouses 3,780 2,268 1,974 1,734 1,500
Net import reliance3 as a percentage of total apparent consumption 51 52 49 49 48
Recycling: Nickel in alloyed form was recovered from the processing of nickel-containing waste, including flue dust,
grinding swarf, mill scale, and shot blast generated during the manufacturing of stainless steel; filter cakes, plating
solutions, spent catalysts, spent pickle liquor, sludges, and all types of spent nickel-containing batteries. Nickel-
containing alloys and stainless-steel scrap were also melted and used to produce new alloys and stainless steel. The
U.S. Department of Energy’s ReCell Center continued to investigate methods to more effectively recover raw
materials, including nickel, from recycled batteries. In 2021, recycled nickel in all forms accounted for approximately
52% of apparent consumption.
Import Sources (2017–20): Nickel contained in ferronickel, metal, oxides, and salt: Canada, 43%; Norway, 10%;
Finland, 9%; Australia, 8%; and other, 30%. Nickel-containing scrap, including nickel content of stainless-steel scrap:
Canada, 37%; Mexico, 26%; United Kingdom, 9%; and other, 28%.
Tariff: Item Number Normal Trade

Relations 12–
31–21
Nickel ores and concentrates, nickel content 2604.00.0040 Free.
Ferronickel 7202.60.0000 Free.
Unwrought nickel, not alloyed 7502.10.0000 Free.
Nickel waste and scrap 7503.00.0000 Free.
Nickel powders 7504.00.0010 Free.
Nickel flakes 7504.00.0050 Free.
Prepared by Michele E. McRae [(703) 648–7743, mmcrae@usgs.gov]

NICKEL
Depletion Allowance: 22% (domestic), 14% (foreign).
Government Stockpile:4 The U.S. Department of Energy is holding nickel ingot contaminated by low-level
radioactivity at Paducah, KY, and shredded nickel scrap at Oak Ridge, TN. See Lithium for statistics on lithium-nickel-
cobalt-aluminum oxide.
FY 2021 FY 2022
Inventory Potential Potential Potential Potential
Material as of 9–30– acquisitions disposals acquisitions disposals
21
Nickel alloys, gross weight 790 — — — —
Events, Trends, and Issues: On November 9, 2021, a proposed revised U.S. critical minerals list was published in
the Federal Register (86 FR 62199). The new list contained 50 individual mineral commodities; proposed changes
were the addition of nickel and zinc and the removal of helium, potash, rhenium, strontium, and uranium, which were
included in the 2018 critical minerals list.
In 2021, the annual average LME cash price was estimated to have increased by 30% compared with that in 2020,
which was attributed to expectations of increased use of nickel in electric vehicle batteries and continued strong
demand for stainless steel.
Mine production in Indonesia increased by an estimated 30%, which was facilitated by the ongoing commissioning of
integrated nickel pig iron and stainless-steel projects. The country’s first hydrometallurgical plant began operation in
May on Obi Island. It was among several similar projects in the country that were designed to produce intermediate
nickel products to be used as feed material at battery-grade nickel sulfate plants.
World Mine Production and Reserves: Reserves for Australia, Canada, Russia, and the United States were revised
based on new information from company and (or) Government reports.
Mine production Reserves5

2020 2021e
6
United States 16,700 18,000 340,000
7
Australia 169,000 160,000 21,000,000
Brazil 77,100 100,000 16,000,000
Canada 167,000 130,000 2,000,000
China 120,000 120,000 2,800,000
Indonesia 771,000 1,000,000 21,000,000
New Caledonia8 200,000 190,000 NA
Philippines 334,000 370,000 4,800,000
Russia 283,000 250,000 7,500,000
Other countries 373,000 410,000 20,000,000
World total (rounded) 2,510,000 2,700,000 >95,000,000
World Resources:5 Identified land-based resources averaging approximately 0.5% nickel or greater contain at least
300 million tons of nickel, with about 60% in laterites and 40% in sulfide deposits. Extensive nickel resources also are
found in manganese crusts and nodules on the ocean floor.
Substitutes: Low-nickel, duplex, or ultrahigh-chromium stainless steels have been substituted for austenitic grades in
construction. Nickel-free specialty steels are sometimes used in place of stainless steel in the power-generating and
petrochemical industries. Titanium alloys can substitute for nickel metal or nickel-base alloys in corrosive chemical
environments.
e
Estimated. NA Not available. W Withheld to avoid disclosing company proprietary data. — Zero.
1
Defined as primary imports – primary exports + adjustments for industry stock changes, excluding secondary consumer stocks.
2
Defined as apparent primary consumption + reported secondary consumption.
3
Defined as imports - exports + adjustments for consumer stock changes.
4
See Appendix B for definitions.54See Appendix C for resource and reserve definitions and information concerning data sources.
6
Includes reserve data for three projects. An additional three domestic projects have defined resources but have not yet defined reserves.
7
For Australia, Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant or equivalent reserves were 8.3 million tons.
8
Overseas Territory of France.
U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2022

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NICKEL

(Data in metric tons of contained nickel unless otherwise noted)

Salient Statistics—United States: 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021e

Tariff: Item Number Normal Trade

Prepared by Michele E. McRae [(703) 648–7743, mmcrae@usgs.gov]

Mine production Reserves5

U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2022

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