Bismuth price
Bismuth is a heavy, brittle metal with a low melting point (271 °C), sold as 99.99% metal. It replaces lead in plumbing brass and solders and is the active ingredient in some stomach remedies. China produces about 88% of the world’s bismuth.
By RareMetals.net Editorial Team · Prices checked
Current bismuth price
- China, Oct 8, 2026
- about $17/kg
- China 99.99% (SMM)
- Outside China, Oct 8, 2026
- about $47/kg
- US ingot, about $21.15/lb (SMM)
Sources: SMM bismuth and tellurium, 8 Oct 2026. Minor-metal and rare earth markets are thin and assessments differ by provider, so ranges are shown. Yuan prices converted at 6.6 yuan per US dollar.
Last supplier list price on file: $49.40/kg (Metal, Bi, min. 99.99%; TRADIUM, ). This list is out of date and is shown for reference only.
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Bismuth price history, 2021-2025 (USGS)
Annual averages from the U.S. Geological Survey, the latest official series. They show the trend up to 2025; compare them with the current prices above.
| Year | Price |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $8.25 |
| 2022 | $8.60 |
| 2023 | $8.99 |
| 2024 | $12 |
| 2025e | $44 |
Source: U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026.
What moves the bismuth price?
China’s export controls
China added bismuth to its export-control list in February 2025. The Rotterdam price rose from $5.96/lb in January 2025 to a monthly average of $34.22/lb in March, and was $17.50/lb in October. The 2025 average of about $20/lb was the highest on record (USGS). In October 2026 bismuth sold for about $17/kg in China and about $21/lb (about $47/kg) in the US (SMM).
Lead replacement
US "lead-free" rules for drinking-water fittings (0.25% lead since 2014) increased bismuth use in brass and solders.
Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics
Bismuth subsalicylate (in over-the-counter stomach remedies), bismuth oxychloride (pearlescent cosmetics) and bismuth vanadate pigments.
By-product supply
Bismuth is recovered from lead, tungsten and copper refining, so supply follows those metals.
Where bismuth comes from
| Country | Output |
|---|---|
| China | 14,000 |
| South Korea | 1,000 |
| Japan | 500 |
| Laos | 500 |
| World total | 16,000 |
The United States stopped refining primary bismuth in 1997.
Bismuth price FAQ
How much is bismuth worth per kg?
The current price is about $17/kg in China (Oct 8, 2026) and about $47/kg outside China (Oct 8, 2026). The 2025 annual average was about $20 per pound (about $44/kg), the highest on record (USGS).
Why did bismuth prices spike in 2025?
China, with about 88% of world production, added bismuth to its export-control list in February 2025. Prices outside China jumped to a record monthly average of $34.22/lb in March 2025 before easing.
Who produces the most bismuth?
China, with about 14,000 of the world’s 16,000 tons in 2025 (USGS).
What is bismuth used for?
Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, lead-free brass and solders, low-melting fusible alloys (fire sprinklers, fuses), pigments and steel additives.
Related prices
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