Terbium
Terbium is a heavy rare earth under Chinese export controls. What it is, what it colours, and why the US imports it all from China.
Last updated: October 2026
Terbium is a silvery heavy rare-earth metal from ion-adsorption clays and other rare-earth ores. It is one of the scarcest of the commercially produced rare earths. US imports of terbium compounds and metals came 100% from China (USGS, 2021-24), and Beijing applied export controls to terbium in April 2025.
| # | Country | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 69% - 270,000 t REO (2025) |
| 2 | United States | 13% - 51,000 t |
| 3 | Australia | 7% - 29,000 t |
| 4 | Myanmar | 6% - 22,000 t (heavy-REE clays) |
| 5 | Thailand | 4,800 t |
| 6 | Madagascar | 2,700 t |
| 7 | India | 2,900 t |
| 8 | Russia | 2,600 t |
| 9 | Brazil | 2,000 t |
| 10 | Nigeria | 1,500 t |
Total rare-earth mine production, all elements combined, 2025 (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026). USGS does not publish per-element production shares. US imports of terbium compounds and metals came 100% from China (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, import sources 2021-24).
Terbium is a silvery heavy rare-earth metal from ion-adsorption clays and other rare-earth ores. It is one of the scarcest of the commercially produced rare earths, and its separation follows the same concentrated heavy-REE chain as dysprosium.
Green phosphors for displays and lighting, NdFeB magnets (coercivity), solid oxide fuel cells, lasers and fluorescent lamps.
China, which controls the overwhelming majority of heavy-REE separation capacity. US imports of terbium compounds and metals came 100% from China (USGS, 2021-24).
US imports of terbium compounds and metals came 100% from China (USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, 2021-24 import sources). China controls the overwhelming majority of heavy-REE separation capacity, and applied export controls to terbium in April 2025.
Extreme. China applied export controls to terbium in April 2025. The United States imported 100% of its terbium from China. Terbium oxide prices averaged about $812/kg in 2025 (USGS). With no alternative separation capacity at scale, a licensing slowdown is a supply cutoff in practice.
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 - Rare Earths, Heavy (U.S. Geological Survey)
- USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 - Rare Earths (U.S. Geological Survey)
Terbium is one of the scarcest commercial rare earths. US imports of terbium came 100% from China. China applied export controls in April 2025, and with no alternative separation capacity at scale, a licensing slowdown is a supply cutoff in practice.
What is terbium?
Terbium is a silvery heavy rare-earth metal from ion-adsorption clays and other rare-earth ores. It is one of the scarcest of the commercially produced rare earths, and its separation follows the same concentrated heavy-REE chain as dysprosium.
What is terbium used for?
Green phosphors for displays and lighting, NdFeB magnets (coercivity), solid oxide fuel cells, lasers and fluorescent lamps.
Which country produces the most terbium?
China, which controls the overwhelming majority of heavy-REE separation capacity. US imports of terbium compounds and metals came 100% from China (USGS, 2021-24).