Yttrium (Y): Uses, Supply Chain and Market
Facts checked against sources on . How we check facts.
Yttrium is a rare earth element whose leading uses are in ceramics and phosphors, and nearly all the yttrium the United States imports is derived from mineral concentrates processed in China. US net import reliance for yttrium in 2025 was 100%. Yttrium 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 yttrium
Which countries produce yttrium?
USGS publishes no yttrium production by country. China exported an estimated 1,600 tons (yttrium oxide equivalent) of yttrium compounds and metal in 2025, to Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Germany in descending order. In the United States, yttrium is about 0.12% of the rare earths in Mountain Pass bastnaesite ore, and there were no fully commercial facilities that could separate or refine it.
How is yttrium mined and processed?
Bastnaesite is mined as the primary rare earth source at Mountain Pass, California, where yttrium is estimated to be about 0.12% of the rare earths in the ore, but its production content was not reported. Full page on how yttrium is mined and processed.
What is yttrium used for?
- Ceramics and phosphors: the leading domestic and global end uses
- Lasers: yttrium-aluminum-garnet crystals in lasers for communication, industrial and medical applications
- Other uses: fiber optics, optical glass, pigments, and as a stabilizer in zirconia ceramics
How much does yttrium cost?
| Price | Unit | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yttrium oxide, minimum 99.999% purity | dollars per kilogram | 6 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 9 |
| Yttrium metal, minimum 99.9% purity | dollars per kilogram | 39 | 41 | 33 | 33 | 40 |
Source: USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Yttrium. The 2025 figures are USGS estimates. Prices are annual averages of the series named in each row, so they are not live quotes.
The USGS text says the average price of yttrium oxide rose 42% in 2025 and of yttrium metal 22%.
Is yttrium a critical mineral?
Yttrium 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 (priority) |
Lists last checked against the primary publications on October 12, 2026. See the comparison of all four lists.
Export controls and trade measures
- China has required export licenses for rare earths since 2025, and USGS says the April 2025 measures added yttrium metals, oxides, alloys and compounds (Table 4 and the yttrium chapter).
See the export controls tracker for dates and current status.
What are the substitutes for yttrium?
USGS names substitutes for 2 applications of yttrium, for example electronics, lasers and phosphors: yttrium is generally not subject to direct substitution by other elements. Full yttrium substitutes page.
Can yttrium be recycled?
USGS rates yttrium recycling as insignificant.
What are the supply risks and recent events for yttrium?
- 2026. Lynas expects to produce yttrium in early calendar 2028 as part of its heavy rare earth expansion in Malaysia. Iluka Resources' Eneabba refinery design in Western Australia includes an option to install separation capacity for yttrium oxide after commissioning (Lynas and Iluka, August 2026).
- April 2025. China tightened its export controls on rare earth elements, adding specific controls on yttrium metals, oxides, alloys and compounds.
- November to December 2025. The United States stated that China would issue general licenses for rare earth exports. As of December 2025 the April controls remained in effect, although China had begun to issue general export licenses to selected exporters.
US import sources, 2021 to 2024. From shipping records, as there are no yttrium trade codes: China, 70%; Germany, 11%; Austria, 8%; Republic of Korea, 4%; and other, 7%. (USGS)
Which companies produce or process yttrium?
| Company | Country | Role | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynas Rare Earths | Australia and Malaysia | Rare earth miner and separator, planning yttrium oxide (ASX: LYC) | Its 2026 annual report puts yttrium production at the Malaysian heavy rare earth expansion in early calendar 2028, after gadolinium in early FY28, with lutetium to follow. Lynas Rare Earths: 2026 Annual Report and Appendix 4E (26 August 2026) |
| Iluka Resources | Australia | Developer of the Eneabba rare earth refinery (ASX: ILU) | Its August 2026 half-year presentation lists a heavy rare earth plus yttrium carbonate as an Eneabba product, shows an illustrative blend with about 850 tonnes of yttrium oxide, and keeps open adding separation of products such as yttrium. Iluka Resources: 2026 half year results presentation (19 August 2026) |
| Aclara Resources | Canada (Carina project in Brazil) | Developer of an ionic clay heavy rare earth project (TSX: ARA) | Its April 2026 release expects an average of 1,160 tonnes a year of yttrium from the Carina project over an 18-year mine life. Aclara Resources: release on the Carina and Project Dynamo technical reports (13 April 2026) |
| China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology | China | Ionic clay rare earth separator (SZSE: 000831) | Its 2025 annual report, in Chinese, names yttrium among the elements its Yongzhou Rare Earth plant can separate to 99.99% to 99.999% purity. China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (April 2026) |
| Solvay | France (La Rochelle) | Rare earth separator | Its roadshow presentation after the first quarter of 2026 lists yttrium, with gadolinium, among the other rare earths it makes for essential applications such as aeronautics and medical uses. Solvay: roadshow presentation after first-quarter 2026 results |
Each row links to the document that supports it. The list is not exhaustive and is not a ranking.
Frequently asked questions
What is yttrium used for?
Yttrium is used in ceramics and phosphors, lasers and other uses. Ceramics and phosphors: the leading domestic and global end uses.
Where is yttrium produced?
USGS publishes no yttrium production by country. China exported an estimated 1,600 tons (yttrium oxide equivalent) of yttrium compounds and metal in 2025, to Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Germany in descending order.
Is yttrium a critical mineral?
Yes. Yttrium is on all four official critical minerals lists: the US, EU, Australian and Canadian. Yttrium was already on the 2022 US list and stays on the final 2025 list of 60 minerals. US net import reliance for yttrium in 2025 was 100%.
How much does yttrium cost?
USGS reports the average 2025 price of yttrium at $9/kg (yttrium oxide, minimum 99.999% purity).
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: Yttrium. 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
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: introduction (Table 4, export controls by country)
- Lynas Rare Earths: 2026 Annual Report and Appendix 4E (26 August 2026). Company statements on its heavy rare earth plans
- Iluka Resources: 2026 Half Year Results presentation (19 August 2026). Company statements on the Eneabba refinery design
- 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
- Aclara Resources: release on the Carina and Project Dynamo technical reports (13 April 2026)
- China Rare Earth Group Resource Technology: 2025 annual report, in Chinese (April 2026)
- Solvay: roadshow presentation after first-quarter 2026 results
Related topics
How Yttrium is mined and refined
The mining and processing page for yttrium.
Yttrium substitutes
The substitutes page for yttrium.
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.
The 17 Rare Earth Elements
Every rare earth with its group, price and control status.
Cerium
Profile of cerium.
