Editing Coltan (section)

== Production and supply ==
[[File:Rio Inírida - panoramio.jpg|thumb|left|[[Inírida River|Rio Inírida]] |alt=Rio Inírida]]
Approximately 71% of the global tantalum supply in 2008 was newly mined, 20% was from recycling, and the remainder was from [[tin]] [[slag]] and inventory.<ref name="USGS MYB2009">{{Citation
  | last = Papp
  | first = John F.
  | title = "Niobium (columbium) and tantalum", U.S. Geological Survey, ''2009 Minerals Yearbook'', pp. 52.1 – 52.14
  | date = January 2011
  | url = http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/myb1-2009-niobi.pdf
  | access-date = 2011-01-17}}</ref> Tantalum minerals are mined in the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]], [[Colombia]], [[Rwanda]], [[Australia]], [[Brazil]], [[China]], [[Ethiopia]], [[Mozambique]] and [[Kenya]].<ref>
{{Citation | last = Kenya National Mining Corporation 
| title = Kenya Discovers Coltan Deposits &#124; National Mining Corporation Kenya
| url = https://www.nmckenya.go.ke/kenya-discovers-coltan-deposits
| access-date = 13 July 2024
| publisher = [[Kenya National Mining Corporation]]}} 
{{Citation  | last = US Geological Survey
  | author-link = USGS
  | title = Minerals Yearbook Nb & Ta
  | year = 2006
  | url = http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/#pubs
  | access-date = 2008-06-03
  | publisher = [[United States Geological Survey]]}}</ref> Tantalum is also produced in [[Thailand]] and [[Malaysia]] as a by-product of [[tin]] mining and smelting. Potential future mines, in descending order of magnitude, are being explored in [[Egypt]], [[Greenland]], China, [[Australia]], [[Finland]], Canada, Nigeria and Brazil.<ref name="Mining Journal">
{{Citation
| work=Mining Journal
| title=Tantalum supplement
| date=November 2007 |url=http://www.noventa.net/pdf/presentations/tanatalumSCR_presentation.pdf
| access-date=2008-06-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910143749/http://www.noventa.net/pdf/presentations/tanatalumSCR_presentation.pdf |archive-date=September 10, 2008 }}</ref>

Globally, 60% of all mining companies have registered with the highly regulated stock exchanges in Toronto and Vancouver. However, due to environmental regulations, no mining of coltan is currently taking place in Canada itself,<ref>
{{cite web
| volume=43
| number=6
| title=Digging for Gold, Mining Corruption: One of Africa's Poorest and Most Embattled Countries is Prey to Canadian Mining Companies Searching for the Last Great Gold mine
| author=John Lasker
| date=October 29, 2009
| url=https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/digging-for-gold-mining-corruption
}}
</ref> with the exception of a single proposed mine in [[Blue River, British Columbia]]. In Canada, [[Tanco Mine]] near [[Bernic Lake]] in [[Manitoba]] has tantalum reserves, is the world's largest producer of [[caesium]], and is operated by [[Global Advanced Metals]] Pty Ltd. A discussion of Canadian mining by [[Natural Resources Canada]], updated in 2017, does not mention either coltan or tantalum.<ref>
{{cite web
| url=http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/mining-materials/exploration/8294
| title=Canadian Reserves of Selected Major Metals and Recent Production Decisions
| author=Arlene Drake
| date=20 September 2012
| publisher=Natural Resources Canada
}}
</ref> A Rwandan official discussing prospective mines in his country said that Canada had 4% of global production in 2009; but in rock so hard that the ore is too expensive to extract. In 2009, Rwanda had 9% of the world's tantalum production.<ref>{{cite news|title=The Mineral Industry of Rwanda |author=Thomas R. Yager |url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2009/myb3-2009-rw.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407210530/http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/2009/myb3-2009-rw.pdf |archive-date=2012-04-07 |url-status=live
| work=2009 Minerals Yearbook: Rwanda
| publisher=U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
}}
</ref>

In 2016, Rwanda accounted for 50% of global tantalum production. In 2016, Rwanda announced that AB Minerals Corporation would open a coltan separation plant in Rwanda by mid-2017, the first to operate on the African continent.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbcafrica.com/news/east-africa/2016/08/24/africas-first-coltan-separation-plant-to-be-built-in-rwanda/ |title=Africa's first Coltan separation plant to be built in Rwanda |publisher=CNBC Africa |access-date=March 25, 2018|date=August 24, 2016}}</ref> Uganda and Rwanda both exported coltan in the early 2000s after they invaded the DRC, but the bulk of this coltan was not mined within those countries but smuggled from Congolese mines, according to the final report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo.<ref>{{cite news|title=Uganda indicted for plunder of natural wealth:Congo report: Uganda indicted for plunder of natural wealth|date= 24 October 2002 |url=https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1046353/congo-report-uganda-indicted-plunder-natural-wealth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304013354/https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1046353/congo-report-uganda-indicted-plunder-natural-wealth |archive-date=March 4, 2018 |newspaper=New Vision}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite book
| page=1990
| title=Coltan
| author=Michael Nest
| publisher=John Wiley & Sons
| year=2013
| isbn=978-0745637716
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXOvoA8C6qoC&pg=PA1990
| via =Google Books
}}
</ref>

In 2013, Highland African Mining Company (HAMC), now Noventa, closed its [[Marropino mine]] in the [[Gilé District]] of [[Zambézia Province]], Mozambique, citing poor-quality infrastructure and ore that was both very radioactive and mostly depleted. HAMC was losing US$3.00 on every ton extracted and had reported accumulated losses of around US$150 million by June 2013.<ref>{{cite news|date=2 August 2013 |title=Highland African Mining Company closes mine in Marropino, Mozambique |publisher=MacauHub |url=https://macauhub.com.mo/2013/08/02/highland-african-mining-company-closes-mine-in-marropino-mozambique/}}</ref>

Reserves have been identified in [[Afghanistan]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/20/weekinreview/20mcneil.html |newspaper=The New York Times|title=Next for Afghanistan, the Curse of Plenty?| author=Donald G. Mcneil Jr. |date=June 19, 2010}}</ref> but the ongoing war there precludes either general exploration or exploring specifically for coltan for the foreseeable future.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/06/no-the-military-didnt-just-discover-an-afghan-mineral-motherlode/ |author= Katie Drummond
| date=June 4, 2010
| title=No, the U.S. didn't just 'discover' A $1T Afghan motherlode (updated)
| magazine=Wired
}}
</ref> The United States does not produce tantalum due to the poor quality of its reserves.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/ |title=Niobium (Columbium) and Tantalum: Statistics and Information |publisher=USGS |year=2018}}</ref>

Australian mining company [[Sons of Gwalia]] once produced half the world's tantalum but went into administration <!-- I gather this is Australian for "bankruptcy"? --> in 2004. Talison Minerals paid $205 million to buy the Wodgina and Greenbushes tantalum business of Sons of Gwalia but temporarily closed Wodgina because of falling tantalum prices. The mine re-opened in 2011 but closed again after less than a year. Atlas Iron began mining iron ore there in 2010 and ceased operations there in April 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/business/mining/worm-turns-for-atlas-as-wodgina-ore-prices-conspire-against-it-ng-b88449093z |title=Worm turns for Atlas as Wodgina, ore prices conspire against it |author=Nick Evans  |newspaper= The West Australian|date=17 April 2017}}</ref> Global Advanced Mining announced in 2018 that it planned to restart tantalum production at the [[Greenbushes mine]] within a year. Talison Lithium, 51% owned by Chinese company [[Tianqi Lithium|Tianqi Lithium Industries, Inc]]. (SZSE:002466) and 49% by the US-based Albemarle Corporation, will continue to mine lithium at Greenbushes in parallel with the GAM tantalum operation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Global Advanced Metals to Mine Tantalum at Greenbushes |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180205005042/en/Global-Advanced-Metals-to-Mine-Tantalum-at-Greenbushes |date=February 5, 2018 |work=Business Wire |publisher=Berkshire Hathaway}}</ref>

Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] announced in 2009 that a significant reserve of coltan was discovered in western [[Venezuela]], although at least one coltan mining operation had previously been authorized in the area. Nonetheless, he outlawed private mines in the region and, saying that the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia|FARC]] was financing itself with illegal mining, sent 15,000 troops in to deal with them. Technical advisers for the mining project were allegedly provided by a subsidiary of [[Khatam-al Anbiya Construction Headquarters]], a fully owned enterprise of the [[Iranian Revolutionary Guard]] which had been under US sanctions since October 25, 2007.<ref>
{{cite web
| title=Venezuela emerges as new source of 'conflict' minerals
| author1=[[Emilia Díaz-Struck]]
| author2=[[Joseph Poliszuk]]
| date=March 4, 2012
| access-date=May 12, 2016
| publisher=International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
| url=https://www.icij.org/projects/coltan/venezuela-emerges-new-source-conflict-minerals
}}
</ref>

Also in 2009, the Colombian government announced coltan reserves had been found in [[Colombia]]'s eastern provinces.<ref>[http://www.semana.com/nacion/relaciones-exteriores/articulo/mas-sal-herida-relaciones-entre-colombia-venezuela/110644-3 ''Más sal a la herida en relaciones entre Colombia y Venezuela,'' 04 December 2009]</ref>  Director of the Colombian Police [[Oscar Naranjo]] Trujillo stated in October 2011 that the [[FARC]] and the [[Sinaloa Cartel]] are working together in the unlicensed coltan mining in Colombia. Colombia announced a joint operation with the United States to arrest three suspects who, according to ''[[Semana]]'', inherited the illegal business run from their brother, Francisco Cifuentes Villa, alias 'Pancho Cifuentes', who once worked for [[Pablo Escobar]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Sinaloa Cartel Expands Influence in Colombia |url=https://www.insightcrime.org/news/analysis/sinaloa-cartel-expands-influence-in-colombia/ |date=March 2, 2011 |publisher=Insight Crime |language=en}}</ref> In 2012 Colombian police seized 17 tons of coltan in [[Guainía Department]]. The police said it had been mined on an indigenous reserve and bought for $10 a kilo and sold for $80 to 100 dollars a kilo, after smuggling it across the border into Brazil, where there are [[smelting|smelter]]s, and sold on through the black market to buyers in Germany, Belgium, Kazakhstan and the United States. Colombia has 5% of global coltan reserves.<ref>
{{cite magazine
| url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/carteles-mexicanos-estarian-detras-coltan-incautado-colombia/264667-3
| title=Carteles mexicanos estarían detrás de coltán incautado en Colombia: Una alianza entre capos de ese país y grupos ilegales de nuestro país estaría explotando el mineral que es sacado hacia Brasil.
| language=es
| trans-title=Mexican cartels said to be behind Coltan seizure in Columbia: An alliance between capos of that country and illegal groups of our country said to be exploiting the ore that is taken to Brazil.
| date=September 13, 2012
| magazine=Semana
}}
</ref> One of the regions suffering from illegal gold and coltan mining in Colombia is the [[wetland]] known as Estrella Fluvial del Inírida (Inírida Fluvial Star), a [[Ramsar site|Ramsar]] protected wetland.<ref>
{{cite magazine
| title=Estrella fluvial de Inírida un paraíso amenazado por la minería
| language=es|trans-title=Inírida fluvial star, a paradise threatened by mining
| magazine=Semana|url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/multimedia/estrella-fluvial-de-inirida-un-paraiso-amenazado-por-la-mineria/507541
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news
| trans-title=The jungle wounded by mining: Colombians and foreigners are affecting the fragile geography of the Orinoquia and the Amazon, fevered by the ambition of gold and coltan |url=http://www.semana.com/nacion/articulo/la-selva-herida-mineria/338157-3
| language=es
| title=La selva herida por la minería: Colombianos y extranjeros están afectando la frágil geografía de la Orinoquia y la Amazonia, afiebrados por la ambición del oro y del coltán
| date=March 29, 2013
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news
| author=Nathan Jaccard
| trans-title=The stars of the Inírida
| title=Las estrellas del Inírida
| date=4 May 2016
| newspaper=El Espectador
| url=https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/medio-ambiente/estrellas-del-inirida-articulo-630586
}}
</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="font-size:8pt"
|+ Tonnes of tantalum mined
|- style="font-size:8pt"
|  style="height:11px; text-align:center;"| &nbsp;
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1990
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1991
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1992
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1993
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1994
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1995
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1996
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1997
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1998
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1999
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2000
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2001
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2002
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2003
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2004
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2005
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2006
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2007
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2008
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2009
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2010
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2011
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2012
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2013
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Australia
| style="text-align:right;"| 165
| style="text-align:right;"| 218
| style="text-align:right;"| 224
| style="text-align:right;"| 170
| style="text-align:right;"| 238
| style="text-align:right;"| 274
| style="text-align:right;"| 276
| style="text-align:right;"| 302
| style="text-align:right;"| 330
| style="text-align:right;"| 350
| style="text-align:right;"| 485
| style="text-align:right;"| 660
| style="text-align:right;"| 940
| style="text-align:right;"| 765
| style="text-align:right;"| 807
| style="text-align:right;"| 854
| style="text-align:right;"| 478
| style="text-align:right;"| 441
| style="text-align:right;"| 557
| style="text-align:right;"| 81
| style="text-align:right;"| 0
| style="text-align:right;"| 80
| style="text-align:right;"| 0
| style="text-align:right;"| 0
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Brazil
| style="text-align:right;"| 90
| style="text-align:right;"| 84
| style="text-align:right;"| 60
| style="text-align:right;"| 50
| style="text-align:right;"| 50
| style="text-align:right;"| 50
| style="text-align:right;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;"| 310
| style="text-align:right;"| 165
| style="text-align:right;"| 190
| style="text-align:right;"| 210
| style="text-align:right;"| 200
| style="text-align:right;"| 200
| style="text-align:right;"| 213
| style="text-align:right;"| 216
| style="text-align:right;"| 176
| style="text-align:right;"| 180
| style="text-align:right;"| 180
| style="text-align:right;"| 180
| style="text-align:right;"| 180
| style="text-align:right;"| 180
| style="text-align:right;"| 140
| style="text-align:right;"| 140
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Canada
| style="text-align:right;"| 86
| style="text-align:right;"| 93
| style="text-align:right;"| 48
| style="text-align:right;"| 25
| style="text-align:right;"| 36
| style="text-align:right;"| 33
| style="text-align:right;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;"| 49
| style="text-align:right;"| 57
| style="text-align:right;"| 54
| style="text-align:right;"| 57
| style="text-align:right;"| 77
| style="text-align:right;"| 58
| style="text-align:right;"| 55
| style="text-align:right;"| 57
| style="text-align:right;"| 63
| style="text-align:right;"| 56
| style="text-align:right;"| 45
| style="text-align:right;"| 40
| style="text-align:right;"| 25
| style="text-align:right;"| 0
| style="text-align:right;"| 25
| style="text-align:right;"| 50
| style="text-align:right;"| 50
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| D.R. Congo
| style="text-align:right;"| 10
| style="text-align:right;"| 16
| style="text-align:right;"| 8
| style="text-align:right;"| 6
| style="text-align:right;"| 1
| style="text-align:right;"| 1
| style="text-align:center;"| {{--}}
| style="text-align:center;"| {{--}}
| {{N/A}}
| {{N/A}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 130
| style="text-align:right;"| 60
| style="text-align:right;"| 30
| style="text-align:right;"| 15
| style="text-align:right;"| 20
| style="text-align:right;"| 33
| style="text-align:right;"| 14
| style="text-align:right;"| 71
| style="text-align:right;"| 100
| style="text-align:right;"| 87
| {{n/a}}
| {{n/a}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 100
| style="text-align:right;"| 110
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:22px;"| Rwanda
| style="text-align:right;"| 113
| style="text-align:right;"| 165
| style="text-align:right;"| 121
| style="text-align:right;"| 124
| style="text-align:right;"| 125
| style="text-align:right;"| 123
| style="text-align:right;"| 116
| style="text-align:right;"| 112
| style="text-align:right;"| 110
| style="text-align:right;"| 107
| style="text-align:right;"| 102
| style="text-align:right;"| 85
| style="text-align:right;"| 62
| style="text-align:right;"| 210
| style="text-align:right;"| 264
| style="text-align:right;"| 187
| style="text-align:right;"| 134
| style="text-align:right;"| 144
| style="text-align:right;"| 171
| style="text-align:right;"| 115
| style="text-align:right;"| 110
| style="text-align:right;"| 120
| style="text-align:right;"| 150
| style="text-align:right;"| 150
|- style="font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold"
! style="height:22px;"| Africa, Other
| style="text-align:right;"| 45
| style="text-align:right;"| 66
| style="text-align:right;"| 59
| style="text-align:right;"| 59
| style="text-align:right;"| 8
| style="text-align:right;"| 3
| style="text-align:right;"| 3
| style="text-align:right;"| 3
| style="text-align:right;"| 82
| style="text-align:right;"| 76
| style="text-align:right;"| 208
| style="text-align:right;"| 173
| style="text-align:right;"| 242
| style="text-align:right;"| 245
| style="text-align:right;"| 333
| style="text-align:right;"| 214
| style="text-align:right;"| 146
| style="text-align:right;"| 135
| style="text-align:right;"| 313
| style="text-align:right;"| 297
| style="text-align:right;"| 391
| style="text-align:right;"| 390
| style="text-align:right;"| 230
| style="text-align:right;"| 140
|- style="font-size:8pt;font-weight:bold"
! style="height:11px;"| WORLD
| style="text-align:right;"| 396
| style="text-align:right;"| 477
| style="text-align:right;"| 399
| style="text-align:right;"| 310
| style="text-align:right;"| 333
| style="text-align:right;"| 361
| style="text-align:right;"| 389
| style="text-align:right;"| 409
| style="text-align:right;"| 779
| style="text-align:right;"| 645
| style="text-align:right;"| 1070
| style="text-align:right;"| 1180
| style="text-align:right;"| 1470
| style="text-align:right;"| 1280
| style="text-align:right;"| 1430
| style="text-align:right;"| 1380
| style="text-align:right;"| 870
| style="text-align:right;"| 872
| style="text-align:right;"| 1190
| style="text-align:right;"| 670
| style="text-align:right;"| 681
| style="text-align:right;"| 790
| style="text-align:right;"| 670
| style="text-align:right;"| 590
|- style="font-size:8pt"
| colspan="25" style="height:32px;"| 1990–1993: U.S. Geological Survey, "1994 Minerals Yearbook" (MYB), "Columbium (niobium) and tantalum" by Larry D. Cunningham, <br />Table 10; 1994–1997: MYB 1998, Table 10; 1998–2001: MYB 2002, p.&nbsp;21.13; 2002–2003: MYB 2004, p.&nbsp;20.13; 2004: MYB 2008, p.&nbsp;52.12; <br />2005-2009: MYB 2009, p.&nbsp;52.13.  USGS did not report data for other countries (China, Kazakhstan, Russia, etc.) owing to data uncertainties.
|- style="font-size:8pt"
| {{N/A}} Not available. || colspan="24" | {{--}} Zero.
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right;"
|- style="font-size:8pt"
|+ % of Global tantalum production from mining
|- style="font-size:8pt"
|  style="height:11px; text-align:center;"| &nbsp;
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1990
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1991
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1992
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1993
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1994
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1995
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1996
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1997
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1998
!  style="text-align:right;" | 1999
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2000
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2001
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2002
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2003
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2004
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2005
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2006
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2007
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2008
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2009
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2010
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2011
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2012
!  style="text-align:right;" | 2013
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Australia
|  | 41.7%
|  | 45.7%
|  | 56.1%
|  | 54.8%
|  | 71.5%
|  | 75.9%
|  | 71.0%
|  | 73.8%
|  | 42.4%
|  | 54.3%
|  | 45.3%
|  | 55.9%
|  | 63.9%
|  | 59.8%
|  | 56.4%
|  | 61.9%
|  | 54.9%
|  | 50.6%
|  | 46.8%
|  | 12.1%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 10.1%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 0.0%
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Brazil
|  | 22.7%
|  | 17.6%
|  | 15.0%
|  | 16.1%
|  | 15.0%
|  | 13.9%
|  | 14.1%
|  | 13.4%
|  | 39.8%
|  | 25.6%
|  | 17.8%
|  | 17.8%
|  | 13.6%
|  | 15.6%
|  | 14.9%
|  | 15.7%
|  | 20.2%
|  | 20.6%
|  | 15.1%
|  | 26.9%
|  | 26.4%
|  | 22.8%
|  | 20.9%
|  | 23.7%
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Canada
|  | 21.7%
|  | 19.5%
|  | 12.0%
|  | 8.1%
|  | 10.8%
|  | 9.1%
|  | 14.1%
|  | 12.0%
|  | 7.3%
|  | 8.4%
|  | 5.3%
|  | 6.5%
|  | 3.9%
|  | 4.3%
|  | 4.0%
|  | 4.6%
|  | 6.4%
|  | 5.2%
|  | 3.4%
|  | 3.7%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 3.2%
|  | 7.5%
|  | 8.5%
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| D.R. Congo
|  | 2.5%
|  | 3.4%
|  | 2.0%
|  | 1.9%
|  | 0.3%
|  | 0.3%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 0.0%
|  | 12.1%
|  | 5.1%
|  | 2.0%
|  | 1.2%
|  | 1.4%
|  | 2.4%
|  | 1.6%
|  | 8.1%
|  | 8.4%
|  | 13.0%
|   {{n/a}}
|   {{n/a}}
|  | 14.9%
|  | 18.6%
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:11px;"| Rwanda
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
| {{sdash}}
|  | 16.2%
|  | 15.2%
|  | 22.4%
|  | 25.4%
|- style="font-size:8pt"
! style="height:22px;"| Africa, Other
|  | 11.4%
|  | 13.8%
|  | 14.8%
|  | 19.0%
|  | 2.4%
|  | 0.8%
|  | 0.8%
|  | 0.7%
|  | 10.5%
|  | 11.8%
|  | 19.4%
|  | 14.7%
|  | 16.5%
|  | 19.1%
|  | 23.3%
|  | 15.5%
|  | 16.8%
|  | 15.5%
|  | 26.3%
|  | 44.3%
|  | 57.4%
|  | 49.4%
|  | 34.3%
|  | 23.7%
|- style="font-weight:bold"
!  style="font-size:8pt; height:11px;"| WORLD
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
| style="font-size:7pt" | 100.0%
|}

[[Image:global-mined-tantalum-production-1990-2009.png|thumb|400px|alt=Plot of global mined tantalum production, 1990–2009, for World, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the rest of Africa.|Data sources:<ref>1990-1993: U.S. Geological Survey, ''[http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/230494.pdf 1994 Minerals Yearbook]'' (MYB), "Columbium (niobium) and tantalum" by Larry D. Cunningham, Table 10; 1994-1997: [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/230498.pdf MYB 1998] Table 10; 1998-2001: [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/niobimyb02r.pdf MYB 2002] p. 21.13; 2002-2003: [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/niobimyb04.pdf MYB 2004] p. 20.13; 2004: [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/myb1-2008-niobi.pdf MYB 2008] p. 52.12; 2005-2009: [http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/niobium/myb1-2009-niobi.pdf MYB 2009] p. 52.13.  USGS did not report data for other countries (China, Kazakhstan, Russia, etc.) owing to data uncertainties.
.</ref>]]