Rhenium (Re): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Rhenium is produced as a byproduct of roasting molybdenum concentrates from porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits, and about 80% of it goes into superalloys for turbine engines. In 2025 Chile produced an estimated 30,000 kg, 37% of world mine production (USGS world total: 81,000 kg), according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). US net import reliance for rhenium in 2025 was 75%. Rhenium is on the US and Australian critical minerals lists.
$2,600/kg
rhenium metal, 99.99% pure, average value (gross weight) in 2025 (+91% on 2024)
Which countries produce rhenium?
| Country | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) | Share of 2025 world |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chile | 29,000 | 30,000 | 37% |
| China | 20,000 | 20,000 | 25% |
| Poland | 9,400 | 10,000 | 12% |
| United States | 9,310 | 9,800 | 12% |
| Uzbekistan | 7,400 | 7,000 | 8.6% |
| Korea, Republic of | 3,000 | 3,000 | 3.7% |
| Kazakhstan | 1,500 | 1,000 | 1.2% |
| Armenia | 200 | 200 | 0.2% |
| World total (USGS, rounded) | 79,800 | 81,000 | 100% |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Rhenium. 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 rhenium used for?
- Superalloys for high-temperature turbine engine components: an estimated 80% of end uses; rhenium improves the high-temperature strength of some nickel-base superalloys above 1,000 degrees Celsius
- Petroleum-reforming catalysts: an estimated 15%; bimetallic platinum-rhenium catalysts produce high-octane hydrocarbons for lead-free gasoline
- Other alloys and devices: crucibles, electrical contacts, electromagnets, electron tubes and targets, heating elements, thermocouples and vacuum tubes; several molybdenum-rhenium medical devices were approved by the US Food and Drug Administration
How much does rhenium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of rhenium at $2,600/kg (rhenium metal, 99.99% pure, average value (gross weight); +91% on 2024). EarthRarest, our sister business, lists Re min. 99.9% at $7,576.79/kg. Full rhenium price page.
Is rhenium a critical mineral?
Rhenium is on the US and Australian critical minerals lists. 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 | Not listed |
| Australia | Critical minerals list |
| Canada | Not listed |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for rhenium?
USGS names substitutes for 5 applications of rhenium, for example platinum-rhenium catalysts: iridium and tin (commercially successful); gallium, germanium, indium, selenium, silicon, tungsten and vanadium are being evaluated. Full rhenium substitutes page.
Can rhenium be recycled?
Nickel-base superalloy scrap and scrapped turbine blades and vanes are recycled hydrometallurgically into rhenium metal for new superalloy melts, and engine revert is generated by an increasing number of companies. Spent rhenium catalysts are recycled in a closed loop. Industry sources estimate global secondary production at 20,000 to 25,000 kilograms in 2025, excluding catalysts.
What are the supply risks and recent events for rhenium?
- 2025. World rhenium production rose 1% to an estimated 81,000 kilograms from 79,800 kilograms. US apparent consumption rose an estimated 34%, with imports of unwrought rhenium and powders up 83% and imports of ammonium perrhenate up 5%.
- 2025. The United States and Germany remained the leading producers of secondary rhenium, with additional production in Canada, Estonia, France, Japan, Poland and Russia.
- November 2025. Rhenium was added to the US Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. Total imports: Chile, 31%; Canada, 27%; Germany, 16%; Poland, 14%; and other, 12%. (USGS)
Resources. Most rhenium occurs with molybdenum in porphyry copper deposits. Identified US resources are estimated at about 7 million kilograms. It also occurs with copper minerals in sedimentary deposits in Armenia, Kazakhstan, Poland, Russia and Uzbekistan.
Which companies produce or process rhenium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molibdenos y Metales (Molymet) | Chile (plants in Chile, Mexico, Belgium and Germany) | Molybdenum processor and rhenium producer | Its analysis of 2025 results, in Spanish, says rhenium is the most important by-product of its molybdenum processing, that it sold 123,000 pounds of rhenium products in 2025 (up 2.1%), and that it holds about 70% of world rhenium processing capacity, which is its own figure. In October 2025 its US subsidiary agreed to buy Rhenium Alloys, Inc. for US$36.1 million, subject to closing conditions. Molibdenos y Metales (Molymet): management analysis of the financial statements to 31 December 2025, in Spanish |
| KGHM Polska Miedź | Poland | Copper producer recovering rhenium | Its company profile says it is the only company in Europe producing rhenium and ammonium perrhenate from its own resources. The page gives no volume. KGHM Polska Miedź: company profile page |
| Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex | Uzbekistan | Rhenium metal producer from copper smelter output | Its 24 April 2025 news item says it makes rhenium metal by hydrogen reduction of ammonium perrhenate and plans to produce up to 3 tonnes of rhenium a year, with feedstock from a copper smelter and other domestic enterprises. Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex: news item of 24 April 2025 |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is rhenium used for?
Rhenium is used in superalloys for high-temperature turbine engine components, petroleum-reforming catalysts and other alloys and devices. Superalloys for high-temperature turbine engine components: an estimated 80% of end uses; rhenium improves the high-temperature strength of some nickel-base superalloys above 1,000 degrees Celsius.
Which country produces the most rhenium?
Chile produces the most rhenium: an estimated 30,000 kg, or 37% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is rhenium a critical mineral?
Yes. Rhenium is on the US and Australian critical minerals lists. The United States added rhenium to its list in November 2025, when the final list grew from 50 to 60 minerals. US net import reliance for rhenium in 2025 was 75%.
How much does rhenium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of rhenium at $2,600/kg (rhenium metal, 99.99% pure, average value (gross weight); +91% on 2024). EarthRarest, our sister business, lists Re min. 99.9% at $7,576.79/kg (10 kg bucket), read on October 14, 2026; a dealer list price covers one grade and pack size and is not a market benchmark.
Sources
Read on October 14, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rhenium. 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
- EarthRarest price list. Dealer list price, read October 14, 2026; our sister business
- Molibdenos y Metales (Molymet): management analysis of the financial statements to 31 December 2025, in Spanish
- KGHM Polska Miedź: company profile page
- Almalyk Mining and Metallurgical Complex: news item of 24 April 2025
Related topics
Rhenium price
The price page for rhenium.
Rhenium substitutes
The substitutes page for rhenium.
Chile profile
Production, policy and projects in Chile.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Export Controls and Restrictions
China, Indonesia, DR Congo and other measures with dates.
Chromium
Profile of chromium.
