Niobium Price: Range, Benchmarks and Drivers
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
USGS reports the average 2025 price of niobium at $26/kg (ferroniobium, average unit value; 0% on 2024). The price has changed by an average of +5% a year since 2021. The table gives the annual averages for each year available, and the sections after it give the dealer price where one is listed and the recent events the sources report.
$26/kg
ferroniobium, average unit value, 2025 estimate
0%
change in the 2025 average price from 2024
+5%
average annual change in price from 2021 to 2025
Niobium price: what the sources report
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferroniobium, average unit value | dollars per kilogram | 21 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Niobium (columbium). The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
What recent events affect the niobium market?
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does niobium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of niobium at $26/kg (ferroniobium, average unit value; 0% on 2024).
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%.
What is niobium used for?
Niobium is used in steels and superalloys. Steels: about 77% of estimated US consumption.
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: full profile
Uses, producers, price, substitutes and critical list status 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.
