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#57La

Lanthanum Price

Light Rare Earth

Used in catalysts, optics, and battery electrodes.

Main trade forms
Oxide (La₂O₃)
Available from
CN, US, AU
Last update: Apr 4, 2026
8 records

Retail Reference

$15,230/kg
Metal · 6 g
engineeredlab (eBay) · US · Apr 4, 2026

Bulk Benchmark

n/a
No commodity benchmark available

Applications

ApplicationRoleSignificance
FCC catalystsLa-exchanged zeolite Y in fluid catalytic cracking~30% of La demand. Standard catalyst for converting heavy oil to gasoline in every major refinery worldwide
NiMH batteriesMischmetal (La/Ce/Pr/Nd) in AB5 hydrogen-storage alloysHybrid-electric vehicle traction batteries (Toyota Prius), portable electronics
Optical glassLa2O3 in high-refractive-index camera lens glassPremium DSLR/mirrorless camera lenses, smartphone camera modules, microscopes
Lighter flintsMischmetal pyrophoric alloySpark-producing alloy for cigarette lighters and fire-starters
Carbon arc lightingLa-doped carbon electrodesStudio cinema projector arc lamps; legacy use

Market & Supply

Global La2O3 production ~50,000 t/year (REO basis)
China refined supply share ~85%
Other producers USA (Mountain Pass), Australia (Mt Weld)
Co-production Bastnaesite, monazite (with Ce/Pr/Nd)
Export control Not on MOFCOM list
Oxide bulk benchmark $2 to $4/kg (FOB China)
Oxide retail (1 kg) $30 to $60/kg
Metal retail (gram-scale) $300 to $1,500/kg

Verified Offers

Lanthanum is one of the cheapest rare earths in the bulk market because it is a high-volume co-product of bastnaesite/monazite separation. The auto-rendered table shows tracked retail listings.

PurityMOQOriginalSourceVerification
2026-04-04Metal99.5%0.0061 kg0.0061 kg$21,14821,148 USD/kgmarketplace listingLuciteriaUSsingle source offer0.50
2026-04-04Metal99.9%0.0213 kg0.0213 kg$18,31018,310 USD/kgmarketplace listingjoenicks (eBay)USsingle source offer0.50
2026-04-04Metaln/a0.006 kg0.006 kg$15,23015,230 USD/kgmarketplace listingengineeredlab (eBay)USsingle source offer0.50
2026-04-04Oxide99.9% (3N)0.1 kg0.1 kg$450450 USD/kgmarketplace listingleroy500 (eBay)USsingle source offer0.65
2026-04-04Oxide99.9% (3N)0.05 kg0.05 kg$920920 USD/kgmarketplace listingchemstore2017 (eBay)USsingle source offer0.60
2026-03-15Oxide99.9% (3N)1 kg1 kg$33 USD/kgdistributor offerStanford Advanced MaterialsUSsingle source offer0.60
2026-03-15Oxide99.9% (3N)1 kg1 kg$22 USD/kgdistributor offerEdgetech IndustriesCNsingle source offer0.60
2026-03-15Oxide99.9% (3N)1 kg1 kg$22 USD/kgmarketplace offerALB MaterialsCNsingle source offer0.60

8 records · click a column to sort

Important Notes

Not on the MOFCOM control list Lanthanum is one of the light rare earths excluded from the No. 18/2025 medium/heavy REE control basket. La trades freely under standard customs procedures, though shipments containing mixed-RE concentrates may still encounter classification scrutiny.
FCC catalyst demand floor Refinery FCC unit demand for La-zeolite catalysts establishes a global price floor independent of magnet/EV demand swings. La supply, like Ce, is structurally co-produced with Nd/Pr, so chronic oversupply persists when magnet demand drives the basket.
NiMH legacy decline Hybrid-electric NiMH battery demand for mischmetal is structurally declining as Toyota and others migrate hybrid platforms to lithium-ion chemistries. Offsetting growth is muted.
Physical Properties [1]
Z: 57 · Ar: 138.905 u · ρ: 6.162 g/cm3 · Tm: 920 °C · Tb: 3,464 °C
Crystal: dhcp · Config: [Xe]5d16s2 · Ox. states: +3

References

  1. Wolfram Alpha, “Lanthanum element.” wolframalpha.com.
  2. United States Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries 2025: Rare Earths, January 2025.

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