Rhodium: Criticality

Why the EU rates rhodium riskier than platinum

What this tab covers How exposed economies are to a supply disruption: the EU, US and India listings, the concentration score, and a quantified exposure for the US, EU, India, China, Japan, Latin America, the Middle East and Australia. Where the EU scored it, a chart of supply risk against economic importance, with import reliance, recycling input and substitutes.

Exposure by region

Region	Exposure	Share of world output	Share of world imports	Share of world exports	Net trade (US$)	On own critical list	Position
US	n/a	0.4%	–	–	–	Yes	Small PGM output in Montana; imported about 14,000 kg of rhodium in 2025 against 340 kg of exports, and PGMs are on the 2025 US critical list (USGS).
EU	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	Yes	No mine output and 100% import reliant; rhodium is both critical and strategic in the EU, with 12% end-of-life recycling input (EU CRM 2023).
India	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	Yes	No mine production; imports all rhodium, mostly for autocatalysts, and rhodium is on India's 2023 critical list.
China	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	No	No significant mine output in World Mining Data, so its large autocatalyst and chemical industries rely on imports and recycling.
Japan	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	Yes	No mine output; relies on imports and recycling for its autocatalyst and glass industries.
Latin America	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	no list	No producers appear in the Johnson Matthey or USGS supply data.
Middle East	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	no list	No producers appear in the Johnson Matthey or USGS supply data.
Australia	n/a	0.0%	–	–	–	Yes	No rhodium output appears in the Johnson Matthey or USGS supply data.

Exposure rating: High when the region is a net importer whose import share is at least three times its share of world output (or, for farm goods, it produces under 70% of what it consumes); Medium for other net importers (or 70-95% self-sufficiency), raised to High when world supply is highly concentrated in another country; Low for net exporters or self-sufficient regions. Net importer status uses tonnage where reported, otherwise value. Output: World Mining Data, 2024. Trade: UN Comtrade (EU = sum of member states, including intra-EU trade). Critical lists: US 2025, EU 2024/1252, India 2023, China 2016 strategic minerals, Japan METI, Australia 2024.

Rhodium scores higher with the EU than platinum or palladium: supply risk 2.4 and economic importance 8.6, with full import reliance. It is critical and strategic for the EU and on the US 2025 and India 2023 lists. The risk factors stack up: one country mines 83%, supply rides on platinum mining, and output is tiny. Graedel and colleagues flag rhodium as a metal where vulnerability to supply restriction and environmental impact can both be substantial (pdf p. 3). Substitution is limited; USGS says one PGM can replace another only with losses in efficiency.

EU 2023 Critical also a strategic raw material US 2025 list Yes India 2023 list Yes Production HHI 7,004 highly concentrated

EU 2023 assessment

Chart: EU 2023 criticality: supply risk against economic importance

Each dot is a material assessed by the EU in 2023. The shaded corner is the critical zone (supply risk ≥ 1.0, economic importance ≥ 2.8). Rhodium: supply risk 2.4, economic importance 8.6. EU import reliance, processing 100% EU recycling input rate 12%

Substitutes

Other PGMs in some industrial uses, with losses in efficiency