How much is the price of a permanent magnet

Mainstream permanent magnet types and current market prices

As a key functional material in modern industry and technology, permanent magnets have significant price differences due to their types, specifications, and application scenarios. By 2025, the mainstream permanent magnets in the market will mainly include the following three categories:

1. Neodymium iron boron magnet (rare earth permanent magnet)

Neodymium iron boron magnet is currently the most powerful and widely used permanent magnet material, known as the "king of permanent magnets". The market prices for July 2025 are as follows:

BrandBlank price (yuan/kg)Characteristic description
N35 145-155 Basic grade, suitable for conventional environments
N38 150-160 Magnetic energy product increased by about 8%
N42 160-170 Mainstream choices for mid-range applications
N48 170-180 High performance industrial grade
N52 190-200 Top performance for precision equipment
N55 210-220 Ultra high performance special purpose

Data source: Shanghai Nonferrous Metals Network quotation on July 16, 2025

Retail small-scale product prices (real-time quotation on 1688 platform):

Circular small magnetic piece (D20 * 3mm): approximately 0.81 yuan/piece
Perforated magnet: about 3.5 yuan/piece
High performance N52 specification (D3 * 3mm): approximately 0.80 yuan/piece
2. Ferrite permanent magnet

Ferrite permanent magnets have lower costs but relatively weaker magnetic properties, and are widely used in consumer fields such as home appliances and speakers
Wholesale price: Starting at approximately 0.15 yuan per piece (for inductor specific specifications)
Industrial grade ferrite magnetic rod (D3x30mm): about 0.50 yuan/piece
3. Samarium cobalt magnet

Samarium cobalt magnets have excellent high temperature resistance and are suitable for special environments:

Conventional high temperature resistant model (350 ℃): starting from about 20 yuan/piece
Special specifications (such as Sm2Co17): Price can reach 50-95 yuan/piece
Key factors affecting the price of permanent magnets
1. Fluctuations in the cost of rare earth raw materials

Rare earth elements are the core components of permanent magnet materials (especially neodymium iron boron), and their prices directly affect the final product cost:

Praseodymium neodymium oxide: quoted at 452000 yuan/ton in July 2025, up 13% from the beginning of the year
Dysprosium oxide: Affected by export controls, prices have increased by 45% compared to the beginning of the year Terbium oxide: price exceeds 8.97 million yuan/ton, up 28% from the beginning of the year

In the cost structure of neodymium iron boron magnets:

Rare earth elements account for about 65%
Boron iron accounts for about 30%
Others (such as cobalt) account for about 5%
2. Policies and Import/Export Controls

Starting from April 2025, China will implement export license management for 7 types of medium and heavy rare earths, resulting in:

Domestic price of dysprosium oxide rises by 45%
The overseas price of dysprosium oxide reaches 850 US dollars per kilogram (a 44% premium compared to domestic prices)
The international price of terbium oxide has exceeded 3000 US dollars per kilogram (with a premium of 317%) 3. Changes in application field requirements

The explosive growth of emerging industries has significantly increased the demand for permanent magnet materials:

New energy vehicles: Each vehicle requires about 3kg of neodymium iron boron, and the global demand is expected to reach over 80000 tons by 2025 Humanoid robot: A single machine requires 3-4kg of neodymium iron boron, and the amount of servo motors can reach 40 per unit Wind power generation: Direct drive motor single unit usage exceeds 1 ton
The price impact of special processes and specifications
1. Premium for surface treatment
Nickel plating treatment: corrosion-resistant coating can increase prices by 15-20%
Epoxy resin coating: price increase of about 10-15%
2. Irregular processing cost

Due to the difficulty of processing, the cost of irregular magnets is significantly higher than standard specifications:

Using grinding and wire cutting processes, the processing cycle is long
High scrap rate (simple breakage may cause the entire magnet to be scrapped)
The overall cost is 30-50% higher than conventional magnets Market Trends and Future Prospects in 2025
1. Price Trend Prediction
Short term (second half of 2025): Due to the transmission of rising prices of rare earth raw materials, it is expected that there is still 5-8% room for price increase in neodymium iron boron Mid term (2026-2027): With the release of new production capacity and the development of alternative technologies, prices may tend to stabilize Long term: Continued growth in demand for new energy will support high prices 2. Development of alternative materials

Breakthrough in Rare Earth Free Permanent Magnet Technology May Affect Future Price System:

Iron nitride magnet: The raw material cost is reduced by 40% compared to rare earth permanent magnets, and it has entered the pilot stage Ferrite modification: improved performance through nanotechnology, cost only 1/3 of neodymium iron boron
3. Regional market differences

As the world's largest producer of rare earth permanent magnets (accounting for 68.54% of global production), China's domestic prices are relatively stable, while international market prices fluctuate more:

European price of dysprosium oxide: $760/kg (June 2025)
Domestic price of dysprosium oxide: about 618000 yuan/ton (about 850 US dollars/kg)
Purchase advice and precautions
Specification selection: Choose the appropriate grade based on actual application needs to avoid excessive pursuit of high performance and cost waste Batch purchase: Large orders can be negotiated for a wholesale discount of 5-15%
Supplier evaluation: Priority should be given to top enterprises with rare earth raw material guarantees (such as Zhongke Sanhuan and Jinli Permanent Magnet)
Inventory strategy: Pay attention to the trend of rare earth prices and establish safety stock at relatively low points Alternative solution: For price sensitive applications, ferrite or waiting for the maturity of rare earth free permanent magnet technology can be considered
With the global energy transition and intelligent development, the market demand for permanent magnets as key functional materials will continue to grow. Understanding the price formation mechanism and market dynamics can help companies achieve the best cost-effectiveness in procurement decisions and product design.