Heavy rare earth, lanthanide
What is dysprosium? Properties, uses, supply and price
Dysprosium (Dy) is a heavy rare earth element (atomic number 66) used mainly to keep NdFeB permanent magnets magnetised at high temperature. China has licensed its export since 4 April 2025.
Facts from USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 · reviewed 28 October 2026
Dysprosium key facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Symbol, atomic number | Dy, 66 |
| Group | Heavy rare earth (lanthanide) |
| Main end use | High-temperature NdFeB magnets |
| Chinese export licence | Since 4 April 2025 (Announcement 18) |
| US net import reliance, heavy rare earths | 100% |
| Commercial US production, 2025 | None at sustained scale (USGS) |
Where dysprosium comes from
Which minerals carry it
Dysprosium occurs in the same minerals as the other rare earths: bastnaesite, monazite and xenotime, and in ion-adsorption clays, which USGS describes as elevated in heavy rare earths. A mine in Brazil produced mixed terbium and dysprosium concentrates from ionic clays in 2025.
Why supply is so concentrated
Heavy rare earths make up small fractions of any ore, so they must be separated from large volumes of light rare earths. At least five US companies were developing commercial-scale heavy rare earth separation in 2025; none produced sustained commercial volumes. The Mountain Pass operator received a $150 million Department of War loan for a heavy rare earth separation plant in August 2025.
What dysprosium is used for
| End use | Weight | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| NdFeB magnets | Main use | Added to NdFeB to keep coercivity at high operating temperatures: EV traction motors, wind generators, industrial drives |
| Lasers and nuclear | Minor | Lasers, nuclear control and specialty glass |
Substitutes and recycling
Substitutes
USGS says light rare earths can substitute for heavy rare earths in several applications, with lower performance. In magnets, neodymium can replace part of the dysprosium only at the cost of high-temperature coercivity.
Recycling
Small quantities of heavy rare earths are recovered from permanent magnets. The Department of War provided an $80 million loan to a recycler in Marion, Indiana, and $5.1 million to one in Houston in 2025 to recover rare earths including terbium and dysprosium.
Policy and supply security
Export licensing
Dysprosium is on the April 2025 Chinese dual-use control list. China suspended the wider October 2025 package for one year and began issuing general licences to selected exporters, but the April list remains in force.
Dated events and export-control steps are on the China export-control timeline. Listed companies with exposure: Rare earth stocks exposed to heavy rare earths.
Dysprosium: frequently asked questions
What is dysprosium used for?
Mostly in neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets, where a few percent of dysprosium keeps the magnet from losing strength at high operating temperatures: EV traction motors, wind turbine generators and industrial drives.
Is dysprosium a rare earth?
Yes. It is a heavy rare earth, the lanthanide with atomic number 66, and one of the seven elements China licensed on 4 April 2025.
Where does dysprosium come from?
Rare earth minerals and ion-adsorption clays. USGS does not publish dysprosium output by country; world rare earth mine production was 390,000 tonnes of oxide equivalent in 2025, 69% of it from China.
How much does dysprosium cost?
The reference price is $2,166.15 per kg as of 27 October 2026, +377.23% year to date.
Related elements
Sources
Information only, not investment advice. Reviewed 28 October 2026.