Niobium (Nb): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
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Niobium is consumed mostly as ferroniobium by the steel industry and as alloys and metal by the aerospace industry. In 2025 Brazil produced an estimated 104,000 t, 93% of world mine production (USGS world total: 112,000 t), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for niobium in 2025 was 100%. Niobium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
$26/kg
ferroniobium, average unit value in 2025 (0% on 2024)
Which countries produce niobium?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world | Reserves (t) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | 104,000 | 104,000 | 93% | 14,000,000 |
| Canada | 6,900 | 6,000 | 5.4% | 640,000 |
| Congo (Kinshasa) | 930 | 970 | 0.9% | NA |
| Russia | 300 | 300 | 0.3% | 3,000 |
| Rwanda | 210 | 200 | 0.2% | NA |
| China | 44 | 40 | <0.1% | 6,500,000 |
| United States | None | None | - | 210,000 |
| All other countries | 160 | 120 | 0.1% | NA |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 112,000 | 112,000 | 100% | >21,000,000 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Niobium (columbium). 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.
What is niobium used for?
The estimated value of US niobium imports was $525 million in 2025.
- Steels: about 77% of estimated US consumption
- Superalloys: about 23%
How much does niobium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of niobium at $26/kg (ferroniobium, average unit value; 0% on 2024). Full niobium price page.
Is niobium a critical mineral?
Niobium 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 |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Critical |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for niobium?
USGS names substitutes for 3 applications of niobium, for example high-temperature (superalloy) applications: ceramic matrix composites, molybdenum, tantalum and tungsten, with a performance loss or higher cost. Full niobium substitutes page.
Can niobium be recycled?
Niobium is recycled when niobium-bearing steels and superalloys are recycled, but scrap recovery specifically for niobium is negligible. USGS does not have the amount but says it may have been as much as 20% of apparent consumption.
What are the supply risks and recent events for niobium?
- 2025. Brazil continued to be the leading niobium producer with approximately 93% of global production, followed by Canada with 5%. Brazil exported 92,000 tons of ferroniobium in 2024 and 63,200 tons from January through August 2025, mostly to China (49%), the Netherlands (17%) and Singapore (9%), with the Republic of Korea and the United States at 8% each.
- August 2025. The US Department of War awarded $10 million to the developer of a niobium, scandium and titanium project in Nebraska to support a domestic scandium alloy supply chain. Once operating, the site would be the only niobium mine and primary niobium-processing facility in the United States.
- 2025. US apparent consumption was an estimated 9,900 tons of niobium content, 6% less than in 2024. No significant US niobium mine production has been reported since 1959.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Total imports: Brazil, 67%; Canada, 28%; and other, 5%. By niobium content, 68% of US imports were ferroniobium, 22% niobium metal, 9% niobium oxide and 1% ores and concentrates. (USGS)
Resources. World resources of niobium are more than adequate for projected needs. Most identified resources occur as pyrochlore in carbonatite deposits outside the United States.
Which companies produce or process niobium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBMM | Brazil | Niobium producer at Araxá | Its website calls CBMM the world's leading supplier of niobium products and technology and says it is fully integrated from the mine to the final products, at Araxá in Minas Gerais. The claim is its own, and the page gives no volume. CBMM: company website |
| CMOC Group | China (niobium mine in Brazil) | Miner of the Boa Vista niobium mine in Catalão (HKEX: 3993; SSE: 603993) | Its 2025 annual report says niobium production reached 10.3 kilotonnes in 2025, up 3.23%, and defines its niobium mine in Brazil as the Boa Vista mine in the Catalão mining area, owned by CMOC Brasil. CMOC Group: 2025 annual report (HKEXnews, 1 April 2026) |
| Magris Performance Materials | Canada | Niobium and talc producer, owner of the Niobec mine | Its website says it supplies 10% of the global niobium market and 50% of North America's talc market, which is its own claim. USGS puts Canada at about 5% of 2025 world niobium production. Magris Performance Materials: company website |
| NioCorp Developments | United States (Elk Creek, Nebraska) | Developer of a niobium, scandium and titanium project (Nasdaq: NB) | Its project page lists ferroniobium first among the products expected from Elk Creek, based on its 2026 technical report. USGS says that, once operating, the site would be the only niobium mine and primary niobium processing facility in the United States. NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026) |
| Global Advanced Metals | United States (Boyertown, Pennsylvania) | Tantalum and niobium metal products maker | Its website says it also manufactures niobium metal products, and reports that on 14 August 2026 the US President announced US$25 million of Export-Import Bank funding for its Boyertown site to advance domestic tantalum and niobium production. Global Advanced Metals: company website (news of 18 August 2026) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is niobium used for?
Niobium is used in steels and superalloys. Steels: about 77% of estimated US consumption.
Which country produces the most niobium?
Brazil produces the most niobium: an estimated 104,000 t, or 93% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is niobium a critical mineral?
Yes. Niobium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Niobium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for niobium in 2025 was 100%.
How much does niobium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of niobium at $26/kg (ferroniobium, average unit value; 0% 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: Niobium (columbium). Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
- 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
- CBMM: company website
- CMOC Group: 2025 annual report (HKEXnews, 1 April 2026)
- Magris Performance Materials: company website
- NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026)
- Global Advanced Metals: company website (news of 18 August 2026)
Related topics
Niobium price
The price page for niobium.
Niobium substitutes
The substitutes page for niobium.
Brazil profile
Production, policy and projects in Brazil.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Chromium
Profile of chromium.
Hafnium
Profile of hafnium.
