Ruthenium (Ru): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Ruthenium 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 ruthenium. Ruthenium 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 ruthenium
Which countries produce ruthenium?
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 ruthenium 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.
- Electrical contacts: USGS lists platinum-ruthenium as a substitute for rhenium in coatings for electrical contacts
How much does ruthenium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruthenium, average | dollars per troy ounce | 576.12 | 577.02 | 466.49 | 451.02 | 690 |
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%. Ruthenium had the largest percentage increase of the platinum-group metals in 2025.
Is ruthenium a critical mineral?
Ruthenium 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 ruthenium?
USGS names substitutes for 1 application of ruthenium, for example industrial end uses: one platinum-group metal can substitute for another, with losses in efficiency. Full ruthenium substitutes page.
Can ruthenium 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 ruthenium?
- 2025. The annual average ruthenium price rose 53% to $690 per troy ounce, the largest rise of any platinum-group metal in 2025, which USGS attributed to decreased production and increased demand.
- 2025. US imports of ruthenium were an estimated 14,000 kilograms, against 9,780 kilograms in 2024.
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 ruthenium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Impala Platinum (Implats) | South Africa | PGM miner and refiner (JSE: IMP) | Its annual integrated report says stronger ruthenium pricing added R3.5 billion to revenue in the year to June 2026, and names data centres, cloud computing and data storage as an emerging demand driver for platinum and ruthenium. 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 ruthenium price in the first half of 2026 was 167% higher than a year earlier, the largest rise of any metal it names there. 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 credits stronger prices for iridium, ruthenium and base metals with helping to lower its all-in sustaining cost, and gives no separate ruthenium production figure. 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 expects ruthenium demand to fall by 6% in 2026 and the market to stay in significant deficit, and says data centre expansions will lift hard disk demand, which uses platinum and ruthenium in the magnetic layers, to a five-year high. Johnson Matthey: 2026 PGM market report release (14 May 2026) |
| Heraeus Precious Metals | Germany | Precious metals trader, recycler and catalyst maker | Its 14 November 2023 release with Sibanye-Stillwater presents a ruthenium-based catalyst for PEM water electrolysis that it says can enable an 85% saving on iridium compared with an iridium oxide catalyst. Heraeus Precious Metals: release with Sibanye-Stillwater (14 November 2023) |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is ruthenium used for?
Ruthenium is used in platinum-group metal uses and electrical contacts. 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 ruthenium 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 ruthenium a critical mineral?
Yes. Ruthenium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Ruthenium 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 ruthenium.
How much does ruthenium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of ruthenium at $690/oz (ruthenium, average; +53% 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)
- Heraeus Precious Metals: release with Sibanye-Stillwater (14 November 2023)
Related topics
Ruthenium substitutes
The substitutes page for ruthenium.
Ruthenium supply chain and top producers
The supply chain page for ruthenium.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Platinum Group Metals
The six platinum-group metals and their supply.
Iridium
Profile of iridium.
Palladium
Profile of palladium.
