Price methodology and sources

Current market prices

The headline prices on the prices page, the price pages and the element pages are current market prices, last checked on November 7, 2026. We compile them from public price reporters and dealers, mainly Shanghai Metals Market (SMM) for Chinese rare earth and minor-metal prices, Fastmarkets, Argus and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence assessments where they are published, and spot quotes for precious metals.

• Each figure says what it is: the material and purity, the market (China domestic, FOB China, Europe or US), the date and the source.
• Where reputable sources disagree, we show a range rather than pick one number, and say which providers it spans.
• China domestic rare earth prices include VAT. Yuan prices are converted at the rate implied by SMM’s own dollar conversions (6.6 yuan per US dollar in November 2026).
• Markets outside China are thin, especially for dysprosium, terbium, gadolinium and yttrium; quotes there can be indicative, with few actual trades.
• If we cannot find a consistent current price (for example samarium, thulium and scandium), we say so and show the latest USGS annual average instead, labelled with its year.
• The current prices are also available as a CSV file.

Supplier price list

We also store the price list of TRADIUM, a supplier of strategic metals, for 12 materials, once a week when it is available. The latest list on file is dated January 23, 2026. Lists more than 60 days old are shown only as a dated reference, not as a current price.

USGS annual averages

Element and price pages also show the annual average prices published in the U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026. These are yearly averages for a stated purity (the latest year is a USGS estimate). They move slowly and are the best neutral reference for long-run price levels; we use them for the 2021-2025 history.

Why sources disagree

The same oxide can have very different prices depending on where it is delivered (inside China, FOB China, a European warehouse), the purity, the lot size and export licensing. Since China introduced export licences for several rare earths in 2025, prices outside China have often been well above Chinese domestic prices. We show which kind of price each figure is so readers can compare like with like.

What prices are not

They are not offers to buy or sell and not investment advice. See the disclaimer.