Hecla metals are the cornerstone of modern life.
In the United States, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s 2025 List of Critical Minerals identifies 60 minerals essential to America’s national security, economic stability, and supply chain resilience. Hecla is a leading critical minerals producer, supplying four of these critical minerals—silver, lead, zinc, and copper.
The inclusion of silver on this list will incentivize domestic exploration and production as well as shepherd new innovation, investment, and uses of silver. It is more important than ever for countries to secure their critical resources. The world is experiencing strong demand for silver and a high deficit. Silver is essential to a wide range of modern and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, energy systems, and defense applications, due to its unmatched electrical and thermal conductivity.
In Canada, copper, lead, and zinc are also listed as critical minerals by Natural Resources. Zinc and lead are elements of battery production, making them essential as the world transitions to lower carbon sustainable energy.
Read our 2025 Annual Report to learn more about the growing opportunities for silver.
The supply chain propels and enables modern life, and mining is at the very beginning of the supply chain. Hecla’s responsible mining operations in North America provide these essential and critical metals from domestic mines, which are increasingly important amid disruption to global supply chains.
Hecla produces the raw materials that feed supply chains:
These products play a critical role in a low-carbon future and are also necessary for modern life. Consumers, patients, hospitals, and the military use products every day that are made from our essential metals.
From the moment you hit the alarm to wake up in the morning until you turn off the light, metals are included in nearly every industry and consumer product. Hecla’s operating philosophy of responsible mining ensures every action we take delivers our critical metals in a manner that is responsible, safe, and innovative.
Silver and gold are considered precious metals because they are scarce relative to other minerals, and they have high economic value. In addition to their historic uses as currency, jewelry, and outward signs of wealth, the value of silver and gold to modern life is directly tied to their unique and important properties.
Silver conducts electricity and heat at higher levels and more efficiently than any other metal. It is more reflective at most temperatures than other metals, and it can be combined with nickel or palladium to form important alloys.
Gold is one of the densest metals of all, and it is a good conductor of heat and electricity. Gold is also the most malleable ductile of the elements.
Copper’s conductivity makes it an important part of wiring, and its anti-microbial properties make it essential for health care.
With resistance to radiation, durability in harsh environments and malleable properties, zinc alloys are ideal for medical manufacturing applications.
Lead is ductile and resistance to corrosion, which makes it ideal for use in car batteries, radiation protection, and in some solders.
