Samarium Price: Range, Benchmarks and Drivers

USGS reports the average 2025 price of samarium at $2.82/kg (samarium oxide, 99.5% minimum, average; +40% on 2024). The price has changed by an average of +9% 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.

Samarium price: what the sources report

What recent events affect the samarium market?

• March 2026. Lynas achieved first production of samarium oxide at Lynas Malaysia, its third separated heavy rare earth product after dysprosium and terbium. Initial customer orders were expected to be fulfilled in the first quarter of its 2027 financial year, and it expects to increase samarium capacity in calendar 2028 (Lynas, 26 August 2026).
• April to November 2025. China added samarium to its export controls in April 2025. The April controls remained in effect as of December 2025, although China began to issue general export licenses to selected exporters.
• 2025. The average samarium oxide price rose 40% from $2.01 to $2.82 per kilogram.

Frequently asked questions

How much does samarium cost?

USGS reports the average 2025 price of samarium at $2.82/kg (samarium oxide, 99.5% minimum, average; +40% on 2024).

Which country produces the most samarium?

USGS does not report samarium separately; China produced the most rare earths of any country in 2025, an estimated 270,000 t (69%) of the world's 390,000 t of rare earth oxide equivalent.

Is samarium a critical mineral?

Yes. Samarium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Samarium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for samarium in 2025 was 67% for rare earth compounds and metals as a group.

What is samarium used for?

Samarium is used in permanent magnets. Permanent magnets: alloys containing neodymium, samarium, gadolinium, dysprosium or praseodymium (USGS, 2002); the EU lists samarium among the rare earths for permanent magnets.

Sources

Read on October 13, 2026. Figures on this page come from these documents; where a number is an estimate, the source says so.

1. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Rare earths. Production, reserves, uses, substitutes, recycling and events
2. USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 7 and Figures 10A and 10B). Net import reliance, leading producer and price changes for critical minerals
3. Lynas Rare Earths: 2026 Annual Report and Appendix 4E (26 August 2026). Company statements on its heavy rare earth products and plans
4. USGS Fact Sheet 087-02: Rare Earth Elements, Critical Resources for High Technology (2002). Used for the uses of individual elements; it dates from 2002
5. Regulation (EU) 2024/1252, Annex I. Lists neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, dysprosium, gadolinium, samarium and cerium as rare earths for permanent magnets
6. Federal Register: Final 2025 List of Critical Minerals
7. EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2024/1252
8. Department of Industry, Science and Resources: Australia’s Critical Minerals List and Strategic Materials List
9. Government of Canada: Canada’s critical minerals
10. Solvay: roadshow presentation after first-quarter 2026 results
11. MP Materials: second quarter 2026 results (6 August 2026)
12. Aclara Resources: release on the Carina and Project Dynamo technical reports (13 April 2026)
13. NioCorp: Elk Creek project page (2026 technical report of 10 August 2026)
14. China Northern Rare Earth: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (17 April 2026)
15. Arnold Magnetic Technologies: RECOMA samarium cobalt magnets
16. Arnold Magnetic Technologies: supply agreement with Solvay and Less Common Metals