Fluorspar & hydrofluoric acid, China

All of fluorine chemistry starts from a single ore, fluorspar (CaF2), from which hydrofluoric acid is drawn. With no adequate substitute for producing HF, it feeds fluoropolymers (battery-grade PVDF), semiconductor etch gases, refrigerants and uranium enrichment. China mines nearly two-thirds of it and has tightened supply through repeated safety inspections; the United States imports all of its own, mostly from Mexico.