Yttrium is a heavy rare earth under Chinese export controls since April 2025. What it is, what it lights, and why it matters.
Last updated: October 2026
Yttrium is a silvery metal classified with the rare-earth elements, found in minerals such as monazite and xenotime and in ion-adsorption clays. It is chemically grouped with the heavy rare earths for processing. China dominates rare-earth separation, applied export controls to yttrium in April 2025, and the United States is 100% import-reliant for rare-earth compounds and metals.
| # | 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.
Yttrium is a silvery metal classified with the rare-earth elements, found in minerals such as monazite and xenotime and in ion-adsorption clays. It is chemically grouped with the heavy rare earths for processing, and its separation follows the same concentrated chain as the other heavy rare earths.
Phosphors for LEDs and lasers, yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) lasers, yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) ceramics, superconductors and catalysts.
China, with about 69% of world rare-earth mine production (270,000 t of about 390,000 t REO in 2025, USGS). The United States (51,000 t), Australia (29,000 t) and Myanmar (22,000 t) follow. Per-element yttrium shares are not published.
No per-element figure is published. For rare earths overall, China accounts for about 69% of mine production (USGS) and up to about 91% of refining and separation (IEA). Yttrium is among the elements under China's April 2025 export controls.
High. China applied export controls to yttrium in April 2025. The United States is 100% import-reliant for rare-earth compounds and metals. Heavy-REE separation is overwhelmingly concentrated in China, so a licensing slowdown reaches laser, LED and ceramics makers within months.
Yttrium is a heavy rare earth grouped with the rare earths for processing. China dominates rare-earth separation and applied export controls to yttrium in April 2025. It is irreplaceable in YAG lasers and YSZ ceramics, and the United States imports all of its rare-earth compounds and metals.
Yttrium is a silvery metal classified with the rare-earth elements, found in minerals such as monazite and xenotime and in ion-adsorption clays. It is chemically grouped with the heavy rare earths for processing, and its separation follows the same concentrated chain as the other heavy rare earths.
Phosphors for LEDs and lasers, yttrium aluminium garnet (YAG) lasers, yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) ceramics, superconductors and catalysts.
China, with about 69% of world rare-earth mine production (270,000 t of about 390,000 t REO in 2025, USGS). The United States (51,000 t), Australia (29,000 t) and Myanmar (22,000 t) follow. Per-element yttrium shares are not published.
