Ytterbium Price Today: Oxide Benchmark & Market Outlook

Last updated: 3 September 2026 · Updated monthly · Source: Shanghai Metals Market (SMM)

The ytterbium price for ytterbium oxide (Yb₂O₃) stands at $13,138.68 per tonne ($13.14/kg) on 3 September 2026, 13% VAT-excluded, delivered China (SMM-RE-OX-024) — up 0.52% from $13,070.76/tonne at the August benchmark. This is the second straight relatively quiet month following August’s sharp 11.1% reversal of July’s gain, and the wide intraday range below reflects the same thin spot liquidity that has historically characterised this market. SMM does not publish a daily ytterbium metal spot price; industrial metal prices, where available from platforms such as Asian Metal, indicate a broad range of approximately $40–$350/kg depending on purity, form, and contract volume, with high-purity (99.99%) material commanding significant premiums.

A note on benchmarks: unlike the ten elements tracked daily by SMM as metal spot prices — neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, lanthanum, cerium, gadolinium, samarium, scandium, and yttrium, plus germanium, gallium, and indium in the separate Indium/Germanium/Gallium category — ytterbium does not have a widely published daily metal benchmark, reflecting its smaller market and narrower industrial base. The oxide price is the most consistent available public data point for tracking the ytterbium price over time.

Current Ytterbium Price: September 2026 Benchmarks

Note: The wide intraday oxide range ($12,482–$13,796/tonne) reflects thin spot liquidity — treat the $13,139 average as directional. SMM does not publish a standardised daily ytterbium metal spot price. Industrial metal prices are indicative ranges only and vary significantly by volume, purity, and supplier. This page is updated monthly as benchmark data becomes available.

Ytterbium Price History

Ytterbium has historically been one of the more price-stable rare earth elements, reflecting its limited but specialised demand base. USGS Mineral Resources Program data indicates the ytterbium price was broadly stable at approximately $1,000/kg between 1953 and 1998. The element saw elevated pricing during the 2010–2012 China export quota crisis — when all rare earth prices spiked sharply — before retreating as quotas were reformed and supply constraints eased.

Long-run price series for ytterbium metal are not consistently available from public sources, in contrast to higher-volume elements such as neodymium or terbium, which benefit from active daily market-making. Users requiring granular historical ytterbium metal price data should consult Asian Metal or specialist brokers directly.

What Is Driving the Ytterbium Price?

The ytterbium price is shaped by a narrower set of demand drivers than magnet rare earths. Two applications dominate: ytterbium-doped fibre lasers and amplifiers — widely deployed in industrial cutting and welding, fibre-optic telecommunications, and scientific research — and, increasingly, as qubits in trapped-ion quantum computing systems. Companies including Quantinuum and IonQ use the ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ ion as their primary qubit, a high-growth application that analysts expect to increase ytterbium demand materially over the next decade, though absolute volumes remain small relative to magnet rare earths.

Supply is heavily concentrated in China, which accounts for the majority of global rare earth separation output. Ytterbium is recovered as a co-product during the processing of monazite, euxenite, and xenotime ores — deposits mined in China, the United States, Brazil, India, and Australia. Global annual production is estimated at approximately 50 tonnes, reflecting ytterbium’s narrow commercial application base relative to elements such as neodymium or dysprosium.

The ytterbium price is also influenced by China’s broader rare earth export policy framework. Restrictions on rare earth exports or processing quotas — as seen with the April 2025 export control measures targeting seven elements — can affect ytterbium availability on international markets even when ytterbium itself is not a primary target, given its co-production relationship with more commercially significant elements.

Ytterbium vs Erbium — Fibre Laser and Amplifier Markets

Ytterbium and erbium are the two dominant rare earth dopants in commercial fibre laser and amplifier technology, but they serve different wavelength regimes and application markets. Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs) operate at 1,550 nm — the standard telecommunications C-band — and are deployed in long-haul and transoceanic optical communications networks. Ytterbium-doped fibre lasers operate at 1,030–1,090 nm and are used primarily in industrial laser processing applications including metal cutting, welding, and additive manufacturing.

The two elements do not directly compete in their primary markets: erbium serves communications infrastructure while ytterbium serves manufacturing. Ytterbium’s industrial laser application is currently growing faster in volume terms than erbium’s telecommunications application, reflecting the broad adoption of fibre lasers in metal processing globally. Each new industrial laser installation creates a repeating demand for replacement fibre components containing ytterbium, providing a growing installed-base demand floor. For current erbium market data, see the erbium price page.

Western Ytterbium Supply Development

No Western-facing ytterbium-specific mining or processing project is currently in active development. Ytterbium supply outside China is dependent on the broader rare earth supply chain buildout — projects such as Lynas Rare Earths’ Malaysian processing facilities, Energy Fuels’ White Mesa Mill in Utah, and MP Materials’ Mountain Pass operations all produce mixed rare earth materials from which ytterbium could in principle be separated, but none currently targets ytterbium as a primary product.

The quantum computing sector’s emerging demand for high-purity ¹⁷¹Yb⁺ may catalyse dedicated supply chain investment if demand grows at the rate forecast by some technology analysts. For now, specialist suppliers — including laboratory chemical firms and high-purity metals dealers — source ytterbium metal from Chinese separation facilities and refine further for end-use specifications. For broader context on the rare earth supply pipeline, see the top rare earth producing countries and the China rare earth overview.

Ytterbium Price Outlook

Near-term ytterbium price direction will be shaped primarily by two variables: the pace of fibre laser market growth — the largest current demand segment — and the rate of quantum computing commercialisation. The ytterbium price is more sensitive to technology adoption curves than to the supply-side dynamics that drive magnet rare earth prices. September’s modest 0.52% gain, following August’s sharp reversal of July’s rise, suggests the oxide benchmark has settled into a quieter phase after two volatile months. Analyst consensus does not currently project sharp near-term price appreciation for ytterbium oxide beyond what tracks the wider REE market, though the metal premium over oxide could widen if quantum computing demand activates at commercial scale.

The lack of a widely published daily metal benchmark adds price opacity. Buyers and sellers typically negotiate directly, and published retail prices — often $13–$15 per gram — reflect substantial premiums over industrial contract pricing. For the purposes of this page, SMM’s oxide benchmark is the most consistent available public data point; metal price ranges will be updated monthly as indicative market data is compiled.

Ytterbium vs Terbium: Different Markets, Different Drivers

Ytterbium and terbium are both heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and are frequently co-produced from ionic clay deposits and monazite sands. However, they serve very different markets. Terbium’s primary demand driver is NdFeB permanent magnets — where it is added to improve high-temperature performance — giving it a direct, large-scale link to the EV and wind energy supply chains. Ytterbium’s demand is narrower and technology-oriented, centred on lasers and emerging quantum applications.

This distinction means the terbium price is substantially higher and more actively traded than the ytterbium price: the SMM terbium metal benchmark stood at $1,097.08/kg in September 2026, compared to ytterbium oxide at $13.14/kg. The two elements do not move in tandem. For current terbium market data, see the terbium price tracker.

Ytterbium Price Per Gram, Ounce and Pound

The conversion table below is calculated from the SMM ytterbium oxide industrial benchmark and updated monthly. The SMM benchmark is quoted per tonne; per-kilogram and smaller unit conversions are shown for reference. These figures reflect oxide pricing — ytterbium metal trades at substantially higher values as shown in the Current Ytterbium Price table above.

Ytterbium Price in GBP, EUR and Other Currencies

Currency conversions are calculated from the SMM industrial benchmark using approximate exchange rates at the time of publication and are for reference only. For live rates, consult your preferred currency provider.

Prices are calculated from the SMM industrial benchmark and updated monthly. For ytterbium metal pricing across industrial and research grade tiers, see the Current Ytterbium Price table above.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Prices are subject to change without notice.