EPA’s 2026 Mercury Inventory Finds Major Reductions in Mercury in Products and Manufacturing

Released November 6, 2026

Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the 2026 Mercury Inventory Report on the supply, use, and trade of mercury in the United States. The release of this report further underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to radical transparency and gold standard science by informing the public about mercury use trends in the United States and strengthening the scientific basis EPA uses to protect Americans. Mercury is a persistent neurotoxin that does not break down in the environment and can cause serious health problems, which is why EPA tracks every remaining use and why the sharp declines in this report matter.

The report describes the supply, use, and trade of mercury in the United States during calendar year 2024 and helps EPA, researchers, industry, and the public understand overall trends in mercury use, including where mercury still remains in commerce. Overall, the supply, use, and trade of mercury in the United States are declining. A small number of limited uses remain in certain manufacturing processes and in some components of electrical equipment, and EPA continues to work to reduce and replace these uses as alternatives become available.

Highlights of the report include:

• A 48% decrease in mercury used in products made in the United States and a 58% decrease in mercury used in products sold in the United States.
• A 56% decrease in the total amount reported for the manufacture of elemental mercury.
• A 99% decrease in the total amount reported for the import of mercury compounds.

The data in the 2026 report will help the United States implement the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a global treaty that protects people and the environment from exposure to mercury.

The Inventory of Mercury Supply, Use, and Trade in the United States 2026 Report presents combined data from 2024 submitted on imported mercury, mercury manufactured in the United States, imported mercury-added products, mercury-added products made in the United States, and mercury used in manufacturing processes. The inventory report also provides a broad view of U.S. mercury stored, sold, and exported, as well as identifies industry sectors and trading partners involved in the supply, use, and trade of mercury.

Read the report: Inventory of Mercury Supply, Use, and Trade in the United States 2026 Report.

Background

In March 2017, EPA published the initial inventory report of mercury supply, use, and trade in the United States with information available from public sources.

On June 27, 2018, EPA published a final rule which established reporting requirements to support EPA’s development of triennial inventories under TSCA and requires reporting from persons who manufacture (including import) mercury or mercury-added products, or otherwise intentionally use mercury in a manufacturing process. This means that the data in the report comes directly from the companies that are using, manufacturing, or importing mercury, providing EPA and the public with more reliable and complete information on the supply, use, and trade of mercury in the United States.

The 2020 Mercury Inventory Report was the first inventory published after finalizing the mercury inventory reporting rule (the initial 2017 inventory was limited to only publicly available data). In addition, the 2020 report incorporated data from contextual reporting requirements which resulted in more extensive information on the industries that purchased mercury-added products, countries of origin and destination for imports and exports, and the specific ways that mercury was used in certain manufacturing processes. The 2023 report, as well as this 2026 report, continued the inclusion of such contextual reporting requirements.