Tantalum Price: Range, Benchmarks and Drivers
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
USGS reports the average 2025 price of tantalum at $180/kg (tantalite, annual average; +8% on 2024). The price has changed by an average of +3% 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.
+8%
change in the 2025 average price from 2024
+3%
average annual change in price from 2021 to 2025
Tantalum price: what the sources report
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tantalite, annual average | dollars per kilogram of tantalum oxide content | 158 | 196 | 170 | 167 | 180 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Tantalum. 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 tantalum market?
- 2025. US apparent consumption was an estimated 890 tons, up 58% from 2024. Imports rose 22% and exports fell 17%. The monthly average price of tantalum ore was $180 per kilogram of tantalum oxide content as of November 2025.
- June 2025. Congo (Kinshasa) and Rwanda signed a peace agreement mediated by the United States and observed by Qatar. USGS says that, if sustained, it was expected to improve stability in eastern Congo (Kinshasa) and strengthen conditions for regional mineral trade, which includes tantalum.
- September 2025. The Defense Logistics Agency awarded an $8.6 million delivery order to a tantalum processor in Boyertown, Pennsylvania for ingots for the National Defense Stockpile, and a separate 5-year contract for up to $100 million to maintain a domestic source of tantalum processed directly from ore.
Frequently asked questions
How much does tantalum cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of tantalum at $180/kg (tantalite, annual average; +8% on 2024).
Which country produces the most tantalum?
Congo (Kinshasa) produces the most tantalum: an estimated 1,300 t, or 52% of the world total, in 2025, according to the USGS mine production figures.
Is tantalum a critical mineral?
Yes. Tantalum is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Tantalum was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for tantalum in 2025 was 100%.
What is tantalum used for?
Tantalum is used in capacitors and electronic components, superalloys and alloys, carbides and compounds. Capacitors and electronic components: tantalum metal powders for high-reliability electronic components.
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: Tantalum. 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
- Global Advanced Metals: company website (news of 18 August 2026)
- JX Advanced Metals: company overview
- Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (31 March 2026)
Related topics
Tantalum: full profile
Uses, producers, price, substitutes and critical list status for tantalum.
Tantalum substitutes
The substitutes page for tantalum.
Critical Minerals Lists Compared
The US, EU, Australian and Canadian lists side by side.
Chromium
Profile of chromium.
Hafnium
Profile of hafnium.
Niobium
Profile of niobium.
