Erbium (Er): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Erbium is a heavy rare earth element used in erbium-doped fiber amplifiers for fiber-optic telecommunication cables. USGS reports production only for all rare earths combined: in 2025 China produced an estimated 270,000 t of rare earth oxide equivalent, 69% of the world total (USGS world total: 390,000 t). US net import reliance for erbium in 2025 was 100% for heavy rare earth compounds and metals. Erbium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
390,000 t
estimated world production of all rare earths combined in 2025
$46/kg
erbium oxide, 99.5% minimum, average in 2025 (+7% on 2024)
Which countries produce erbium?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 270,000 | 270,000 | 69% | 44,000,000 |
| United States | 45,500 | 51,000 | 13% | 1,900,000 |
| Australia | 29,000 | 29,000 | 7.4% | 6,300,000 |
| Burma | 27,000 | 22,000 | 5.6% | NA |
| All other countries | 12,500 | 17,310 | 4.4% | NA |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 380,000 | 390,000 | 100% | >75,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rare earths. Shares are calculated from the country figures and can differ by a point or two from percentages USGS states in its text, because USGS rounds its figures. NA means not available; Withheld means USGS withheld the figure to avoid disclosing company data. USGS reports mine production only for all rare earths combined (as rare earth oxide equivalent), not for individual elements.
How is erbium mined and processed?
USGS reports erbium only within the rare earths as a group. Bastnaesite is mined as the primary rare earth source at Mountain Pass, California, and monazite is produced from heavy-mineral-sand concentrates in the southeastern United States. Full page on how erbium is mined and processed.
What is erbium used for?
- Fiber-optic amplifiers: cables carry signals over long distances because they incorporate periodically spaced lengths of erbium-doped fiber that act as laser amplifiers; erbium is used despite its high cost because it alone has the required optical properties (USGS, 2002)
- Other heavy rare earth uses: USGS says heavy rare earths are used in catalysts for petroleum refining, fiber optics, high-strength magnets, industrial and medical lasers, and medical and scientific equipment such as portable X-rays, and that end use varies by element.
How much does erbium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of erbium at $46/kg (erbium oxide, 99.5% minimum, average; +7% on 2024). Full erbium price page.
Is erbium a critical mineral?
Erbium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Each government builds its list with its own method, so a mineral can be critical in one place and not in another.
| Jurisdiction | Status |
|---|---|
| United States | Critical mineral (final 2025 list) |
| European Union | Critical and strategic |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical (priority) |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for rare earths since 2025. USGS lists this element among those added in October 2025 (europium, holmium, erbium, thulium and ytterbium), which China suspended for one year in November 2025; the April 2025 controls remained in effect.
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for erbium?
USGS names substitutes for 2 applications of erbium, for example fiber-optic laser repeaters: USGS reported in 2002 that erbium alone possesses the required optical properties. Full erbium substitutes page.
What are the supply risks and recent events for erbium?
- October to November 2025. China added erbium to its rare earth export controls in October 2025 and suspended that expansion for one year in November. The April 2025 controls remained in effect.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Erbium compounds and metals: Germany, 51%; China, 40%; Netherlands, 9%. USGS notes that material imported from Germany, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Netherlands was derived from concentrates and intermediates produced elsewhere. (USGS)
Which companies produce or process erbium?
3 companies are profiled, including Treibacher Industrie, IPG Photonics, China Northern Rare Earth. Full erbium companies page.
Frequently asked questions
What is erbium used for?
Erbium is used in fiber-optic amplifiers and other heavy rare earth uses. Fiber-optic amplifiers: cables carry signals over long distances because they incorporate periodically spaced lengths of erbium-doped fiber that act as laser amplifiers; erbium is used despite its high cost because it alone has the required optical properties (USGS, 2002).
Which country produces the most erbium?
USGS does not report erbium separately; China produced the most rare earths of any country in 2025, an estimated 270,000 t (69%) of the world's 390,000 t of rare earth oxide equivalent.
Is erbium a critical mineral?
Yes. Erbium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Erbium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for erbium in 2025 was 100% for heavy rare earth compounds and metals.
How much does erbium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of erbium at $46/kg (erbium oxide, 99.5% minimum, average; +7% on 2024).
Sources
Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare earths. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare earths (heavy)
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- USGS Fact Sheet 087-02: Rare Earth Elements, Critical Resources for High Technology (2002). Used for the uses of individual elements; it dates from 2002
- Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
- Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
- Treibacher Industrie: glass industry page
- IPG Photonics, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 23 February 2026)
- China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026)
Related topics
Erbium companies
The companies page for erbium.
How Erbium is mined and refined
The mining and processing page for erbium.
Erbium price
The price page for erbium.
Erbium substitutes
The substitutes page for erbium.
Erbium supply chain and top producers
The supply chain page for erbium.
China profile
Production, policy and projects in China.
