Rhodium (Rh): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Rhodium is one of the six platinum-group metals, and South Africa is the world leading producer of platinum-group-metal-containing mined material. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for rhodium. Rhodium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian.
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official critical minerals lists (US, EU, Australia, Canada) that include rhodium
Which countries produce rhodium?
USGS publishes country production figures only for palladium and platinum and says information is insufficient to estimate world production of iridium, rhodium and ruthenium. It names South Africa as the world leading producer of PGM-containing mined material and Russia as the leading producer of mined palladium.
What is rhodium used for?
- Platinum-group metal uses: USGS does not split platinum-group metal uses by metal. The leading use is catalytic converters that cut harmful emissions from automobiles. Other uses it names are catalysts for bulk chemical production and petroleum refining, dental and medical devices, electronics (computer hard disks, hybridized integrated circuits and multilayer ceramic capacitors), glass manufacturing, investment, jewelry and laboratory equipment.
- Hard disks and chemical catalysts: USGS attributes the 2025 rhodium price rise partly to demand from the hard disk and chemical catalyst industries
- Catalysts and thermocouples: USGS lists rhodium as a substitute for cobalt in hydroformylation catalysts and, with iridium, for rhenium in high-temperature thermocouples
How much does rhodium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhodium, average | dollars per troy ounce | 20,254.10 | 15,585.00 | 6,660.58 | 4,660.44 | 5,800 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Platinum-group metals. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
USGS reports the average 2025 price changes as ruthenium +53%, platinum +25%, rhodium +24%, palladium +11% and iridium -9%.
Is rhodium a critical mineral?
Rhodium 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 |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
What are the substitutes for rhodium?
| Application | Substitute and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Industrial end uses | One platinum-group metal can substitute for another, with losses in efficiency |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Platinum-group metals. USGS says substitutes often cost performance or money; the table gives its wording for each application.
Can rhodium be recycled?
About 140,000 kilograms of palladium and platinum were recovered globally from new and old scrap in 2025, including about 50,000 kilograms of palladium and 8,600 kilograms of platinum from automobile catalytic converters in the United States.
What are the supply risks and recent events for rhodium?
- 2025. The annual average rhodium price rose 24%, which USGS attributed to decreased production and increased demand, particularly from the hard disk and chemical catalyst industries and the substitution of platinum in automobile catalysts.
- 2025. US imports of rhodium were an estimated 14,000 kilograms and exports 340 kilograms.
Resources. World resources of platinum-group metals are estimated to total more than 100 million kilograms. The largest resources and reserves are in the Bushveld Complex in South Africa.
Which companies produce or process rhodium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impala Platinum (Implats) | South Africa | PGM miner and refiner (JSE: IMP) | Its annual integrated report says rhodium sales rose 3% to 202,200 ounces in the year to June 2026 and that the average rhodium price it achieved was US$8,445 an ounce against US$4,818 a year earlier. It expects the rhodium market to be broadly balanced in calendar 2026. Impala Platinum: Annual Integrated Report for the year to 30 June 2026 |
| Valterra Platinum | South Africa | PGM miner and refiner (JSE: VAL; LSE: VALT) | Its 2026 interim announcement says its average realised rhodium price in the first half of 2026 was 94% higher than a year earlier, one of the contributors to a realised basket price of US$2,801 per PGM ounce. Valterra Platinum: 2026 interim results short-form announcement |
| Sibanye-Stillwater | South Africa | PGM miner with South African and US operations (JSE: SSW; NYSE: SBSW) | Its half-year 2026 report defines its South African production as mainly platinum, palladium, rhodium and gold (4E), reports 831,307 4E ounces for the half-year, calls the rhodium market broadly in balance, and assumes a rhodium by-product credit of US$4,800 an ounce in its 2026 guidance. Sibanye-Stillwater: Form 6-K with results for the half-year ended 30 June 2026 (1 September 2026) |
| Johnson Matthey | United Kingdom | PGM refiner and publisher of the annual PGM market report (LSE: JMAT) | Its 14 May 2026 market report release says the rhodium market could see a small surplus in 2026, with demand forecast to fall by 6% as lower gasoline car output reduces autocatalyst use and rhodium recoveries from automotive scrap head for a four-year high. Johnson Matthey: 2026 PGM market report release (14 May 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 rhodium used for?
Rhodium is used in platinum-group metal uses, hard disks and chemical catalysts and catalysts and thermocouples. Platinum-group metal uses: USGS does not split platinum-group metal uses by metal. The leading use is catalytic converters that cut harmful emissions from automobiles. Other uses it names are catalysts for bulk chemical production and petroleum refining, dental and medical devices, electronics (computer hard disks, hybridized integrated circuits and multilayer ceramic capacitors), glass manufacturing, investment, jewelry and laboratory equipment.
Where is rhodium produced?
USGS publishes country production figures only for palladium and platinum and says information is insufficient to estimate world production of iridium, rhodium and ruthenium. It names South Africa as the world leading producer of PGM-containing mined material and Russia as the leading producer of mined palladium.
Is rhodium a critical mineral?
Yes. Rhodium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Rhodium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. USGS does not estimate US net import reliance for rhodium.
How much does rhodium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of rhodium at $5,800/oz (rhodium, average; +24% 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: Platinum-group metals. 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
- Impala Platinum: Annual Integrated Report for the year to 30 June 2026
- Valterra Platinum: 2026 interim results short-form announcement
- Sibanye-Stillwater: Form 6-K with results for the half-year ended 30 June 2026 (1 September 2026)
- Johnson Matthey: 2026 PGM market report release (14 May 2026)
