China
Rare Earth Sector Overview
REO Production (2025 est.)
270 kt
Reserves (2025)
44.0 Mt
≈ 163 yrs at current production
Source: USGS MCS 2026
Global Production Share
REO mine production 2025 (est.) · Source: USGS MCS
Global Reserves Share
REO reserves · Source: USGS MCS 2025 / 2026
📋 Administrative & Policy Notes
China controls ~60–70% of global rare earth mining and ~85–90% of separation and processing capacity. The Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issues export quotas and licences under the Rare Earth Management Regulations (2024). In January 2026, China announced export controls on seven critical heavy rare earth elements including dysprosium and terbium, citing national security and resource protection.
Mining Projects in China
No mining projects listed.
Processing Facilities in China
Leshan / Sichuan
Shenzhen / Nanshan
Ganzhou / Jiangxi
Baotou / Inner Mongolia
Policy & Regulatory Updates
6 articles mentioning China — showing 5 most recent
Apr 2026
The Invisible Wall: Decoding China's 2026 Licensing Regime
China's updated Export Licensing Management Goods Catalogue reached full implementation on April 4, 2026, moving mid-to-heavy rare earth elements into a restrictive, case-by-case licensing regime - and a suspended "0.1% Rule" that threatens to ensnare foreign-made goods containing Chinese-origin rare earths expires November 10, 2026.
Apr 2026
The ISR Jailbreak: Can Technology Break China's Cost Monopoly?
South Australia's Boland Project, advanced by Cobra Resources, is the first project outside China to demonstrate that In-Situ Recovery (ISR) could achieve bottom-quartile production costs - potentially breaking the "CapEx Paradox" that has kept Western rare earth projects uncompetitive against Chinese production.
Apr 2026
The End of Cheap Magnetics: China's 45% Price Hike and the Sulphuric Squeeze
China Northern Rare Earth Group has announced a 45% price hike for Q2 2026, signalling a shift from market-share dominance to revenue maximisation. Simultaneously, China is tightening sulphuric acid supply - the key reagent for rare earth leaching - creating a double squeeze on non-Chinese refineries.
Jan 2026
China extends export license requirements for heavy rare earth clays
China's Ministry of Commerce has expanded export licensing requirements to include all heavy rare earth clay concentrates, significantly tightening control over critical dysprosium and terbium supplies.
Jan 2026
China extends export licence requirements for heavy rare earth clays
China's Ministry of Commerce has expanded export licensing requirements to include all heavy rare earth clay concentrates, significantly tightening control over critical dysprosium and terbium supplies.