Lanthanum Price per kg (United States)

In the past year the monthly price has moved between $1.17 and $1.17.

Measured over the past year, lanthanum is +2.6%.

Lanthanum (La) is a light rare earth used heavily in oil refining, where it stabilises the fluid catalytic cracking catalysts that turn heavy crude into petrol and diesel. It also forms the negative electrode of nickel-metal hydride batteries, still common in hybrid cars, and gives optical glass the high refractive index needed for camera and telescope lenses.

Other uses

• Lanthanum carbonate, a medicine for kidney patients
• Hydrogen storage alloys
• Lighter flints, through mischmetal
• Phosphors and specialty ceramics

Lanthanum is one of the most plentiful rare earths and is often in surplus, as producers separate it while chasing neodymium and praseodymium. Demand from refining catalysts, optical glass and batteries is steady, so its price follows the overall pace of rare earth production more than its own markets.

What moves the price

• Chinese mining quotas and separation volumes
• Oil refinery catalyst demand
• Optical glass and battery demand
• Chinese export policy

Lanthanum spiked with the rest of the rare earths in 2011, then fell back and has mostly been in surplus since, as producers separate more of it than the market needs while chasing neodymium and praseodymium.

As of October 2026, the Stockatomics benchmark price is $1.17 per kg contained.

China mines and separates most of the world's lanthanum, alongside cerium and other light rare earths. The United States, Australia and Myanmar mine rare earth concentrate.

Lanthanum is on the US critical minerals list, and the light rare earths are on the EU critical raw materials list. Refinery catalysts and optical glass depend on it, and separation capacity, rather than ore, is the constraint.

Stockatomics publishes a US benchmark price for lanthanum in US dollars per kg contained, reading as of October 2026. The price is quoted per kg of oxide, not for a cracking catalyst. US trade in lanthanum is thin, so its price moves less often than those of the higher-volume minerals.

Converting the price

• Lanthanum oxide contains about 85% lanthanum