Rubidium: Criticality

Totally import-dependent, and on the US critical list

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	–	–	–	–	Yes	Mines no rubidium, is 100% import reliant, uses under 2,000 kg a year, and lists rubidium as a critical mineral (USGS 2026; US list 2025).
EU	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Germany refines rubidium compounds from imported material; rubidium is not assessed in EU CRM 2023 (USGS 2026).
India	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Has no production or reserves and imports small amounts; not on India's 2023 critical list.
China	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Refines rubidium compounds from stockpiles and has lepidolite and brine resources (USGS 2026).
Japan	n/a	–	–	–	–	Yes	Has rubidium-bearing pegmatite occurrences but no production (USGS 2026).
Latin America	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	Minor rubidium occurs in northern Chilean brines and Peruvian pegmatites; no production (USGS 2026).
Middle East	n/a	–	–	–	–	no list	No rubidium production is reported (USGS 2026).
Australia	n/a	–	–	–	–	No	Sinclair ended pollucite mining in 2019; Mount Edon is piloting new extraction with 97% recovery in tests (USGS 2026).

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: n/a. 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.

Rubidium is on the US 2025 critical minerals list, with 100% import reliance. It is not on India's 2023 list and is not assessed by the EU. Pitron notes that USGS already counted rubidium among minerals with total US import dependence in 2013. The concern is structural. Rubidium is a by-product of cesium and lithium mining, and Hayes & McCullough note that by-product supply is often judged riskier because it depends on the health of the host market. Cesium is the main substitute but comes from the same deposits.

EU 2023 Not assessed US 2025 list Yes India 2023 list No US net import reliance, 2025 100% share of apparent consumption

Substitutes

Cesium in many applications, given similar physical properties and atomic radii