It’s tough to pin down an exact percentage of iPhone raw materials sourced from China due to the complex global supply chain and limited public data from Apple. However, based on available information, China plays a significant role in supplying certain critical raw materials, particularly rare earth minerals, which are essential for components like screens, speakers, and batteries.
China controls about 90% of the global supply of rare earth minerals (e.g., lanthanides, yttrium, scandium), many mined in regions like Mongolia. These are crucial for iPhone components such as displays, speakers, and vibration units. Beyond rare earths, other raw materials like cobalt, lithium, tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold are sourced globally, with China contributing to some extent, but not dominating, as these are also mined in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Australia, and South America. Apple’s 2022 Conflict Minerals Report emphasizes efforts to recycle these materials, reducing reliance on specific regions, including China.
For non-mineral raw materials (e.g., glass, plastics, or metals like titanium), China also produces a notable share. For instance, Chinese firms like Lens Technology supply glass, and China produces over 60% of the world’s titanium and titanium alloys, used in iPhone frames. However, high-value components like memory chips, processors, and displays often rely on raw materials processed in South Korea, Japan, or Taiwan, even if some production occurs in China.
A rough estimate, considering China’s dominance in rare earths and partial role in other materials, suggests 30-50% of the iPhone’s raw materials by value or volume might originate in China. This is a ballpark figure, as the exact mix depends on the model and year, and Apple doesn’t disclose precise breakdowns. Most analyses focus on component manufacturing or assembly (where China’s role is larger, ~40% of suppliers), not raw materials specifically.
If you want a more precise number, you’d need Apple’s internal data, which isn’t public. For context, only about 2.5% of an iPhone’s total cost comes from Chinese-made parts, with the rest from global suppliers, but this includes processed components, not raw materials alone.
