Thallium: Trading
A market measured in kilograms
What this tab covers How and where it is bought and sold: who buys and sells, exchanges and benchmarks, contract types, the big trading houses and how prices are discovered.There is no exchange or benchmark. Thallium is sold by a few smelter-linked refiners and specialty chemical firms, and US prices are retail quotes from three suppliers. Volumes are measured in kilograms. Because handling is strictly regulated, buyers must also manage permits and safety, which narrows the pool of sellers. The US EPA caps thallium in drinking water at 2 parts per billion, which shows why handling rules are so strict. Contracts are private and prices opaque.
Where it is bought (buyers)
- Scintillator and IR-optics makers in the US, Europe and Japan
- Cyclotron and radiopharmaceutical producers buying enriched thallium targets
- Research laboratories buying small lots
Where it is sold (sellers)
- Smelter-linked refiners in China, Kazakhstan and Russia
- US imports came from Mexico 90%, France 4%, Japan 4% and Israel 2% in 2021-24 (USGS)
Exchanges and benchmarks
| Venue | Contract | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| None | No exchange contract | Small bilateral and catalogue trade only; no Indian venue lists thallium |
Contract types
- Catalogue and small-lot sales
- Bilateral supply contracts with hazardous-material handling terms
Top trading houses
- None prominent
How prices are discovered
- Retailer and producer quotes for 100-g lots surveyed by USGS