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Tellurium Price
The Tellurium prices and rates shown reflect the standard retail rate for individual investors and is consistent with typical market pricing. For larger orders of tellurium, whether for investment purposes or industrial use, please get in touch with us to receive a tailored quote. These quotes are obtained from an industry supplier by an API.
Current reference price: $267.63/kg
Key Price Drivers
CdTe Solar Panel Demand
Tellurium is irreplaceable in cadmium telluride thin-film solar cells, the low-cost alternative to silicon PV
Chinese Export Controls
China produces ~50% of global output and added tellurium to its export control list in February 2025
Byproduct Supply Constraint
Recovered almost entirely as a byproduct of copper refining, with no ability to scale supply independently
Critical Mineral Designation
Listed as critical by the U.S., EU, and Canada, driving strategic stockpiling and supply chain investment
Learn more about gallium, its key applications, and long-term investment potential in our guide to investing in tellurium.
Tellurium Price Trends & Forecast
Tellurium spent most of the past decade as a niche byproduct metal with limited price discovery, trading quietly in the $40 to $70 per kg range and attracting little attention outside the solar industry. Prices increased by more than 50% over the five years to 2024, topping $100,000 per metric ton in mid-2024 before settling above $90,000. The move reflected tightening supply from copper smelters and growing cadmium telluride solar demand, but the bigger disruption was still ahead.
In February 2025, China’s Ministry of Commerce imposed export controls on tellurium and its compounds alongside four other critical metals, requiring special licenses for all shipments out of the country. China produced approximately 750 metric tons of tellurium in 2024, accounting for 76% of estimated global output of 980 tons, which makes its licensing regime an immediate and meaningful constraint on global supply. Prices reached $104.94 per kg by December 2025, with a 28% upward move recorded in Q4 alone, as CdTe solar manufacturers accelerated purchases ahead of expected tightening availability.
The structural supply problem is harder to fix than most metals. Tellurium is recovered almost entirely as a byproduct of copper refining, with global production running just 500 to 600 metric tons annually – far below what could theoretically be recovered from existing copper refineries, reflecting severe underrecovery driven by low byproduct priority. Supply simply does not respond to tellurium price signals the way primary metals do – it responds to copper economics instead.
Around 73% of global tellurium consumption goes into the photovoltaic industry, with First Solar’s CdTe thin-film technology being the single largest buyer. That concentration cuts both ways: strong solar buildout drives demand sharply higher, but any slowdown – as seen when First Solar trimmed its 2025 guidance due to tariff pressures – quickly softens the market. Looking further out, the tellurium target market is projected to grow at a 7.5% CAGR from 2026 to 2034, underpinned by CdTe solar expansion and emerging semiconductor uses. Whether supply can keep pace depends on copper refinery investment and how aggressively China enforces its new licensing controls.