Erbium Companies: Producers and Processors
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
The companies below produce, process or use erbium. Each row cites the document that says what the company does with the metal; the list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
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 companies produce or process erbium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treibacher Industrie | Austria | Rare earth processor and supplier of erbium oxide to the glass industry | Its glass industry page says erbium oxide and cerium oxide are the industry standard for decolourizing high-quality glass, and its company page describes Treibacher as the most important rare earth processor outside China, which is the company's own claim. Treibacher Industrie: glass industry page |
| IPG Photonics | United States | Fiber laser maker, a user of erbium-doped fiber (Nasdaq: IPGP) | Its 10-K names erbium as one of three gain media for its fiber lasers, with ytterbium and thulium, and lists single-mode erbium fiber lasers with power of up to 4,000 watts. The gain medium is a specialty optical fiber infused with rare earth ions. IPG Photonics, Form 10-K for 2025 (filed 23 February 2026) |
| China Northern Rare Earth | China | Rare earth producer (SSE: 600111) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, lists erbium oxide among its main products, for ceramics, optical materials and laser applications. China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
What do the sources say about erbium companies?
- USGS names no company that produces erbium. It records that at least five US companies were developing commercial-scale heavy rare earth processing and refining capacity in 2025, and that none produced sustained commercial-scale quantities.
- Erbium compounds and metals imported by the United States in 2021 to 2024 came from Germany (51%), China (40%) and the Netherlands (9%), and USGS notes that material from Germany, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Netherlands was derived from concentrates and intermediates produced elsewhere.
- Lynas's 2026 results list dysprosium, terbium and samarium as its separated heavy rare earth products and gadolinium, yttrium and lutetium as the next ones; erbium is not on the list.
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 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: full profile
Uses, producers, price, substitutes and critical list status 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.
