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
Country Risk Scorecard
Scores 1 (very low risk) - 5 (very high risk) · REETracker assessment
Risk scores are qualitative assessments based on publicly available geopolitical, regulatory, and supply chain data as at July 2026. They are intended as indicative guidance only and should not be relied upon as investment advice.
📋 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
8 articles mentioning China — showing 5 most recent
Jul 2026
China's Yttrium Monopoly Faces a Sudden Brazilian Challenger
Newly released drilling results from Brazilian Rare Earths Limited (ASX: BRE) at their Monte Alto District in Bahia, Brazil, suggest a massive geological alternative to Chinese yttrium dominance is taking shape in the Western Hemisphere. Diamond drill hole MADD0210 returned 2.5 metres at 7.5% TREO, including a peak sub-interval of 1.3 metres at 10.9% TREO - with yttrium oxide comprising an extraordinary 5.8% of that interval, confirming heavy rare earths as the dominant geological feature of the bedrock mineralisation.
Jul 2026
Market Bifurcation: The July Price Divergence and the FOB Compliance Premium
Pricing dynamics across the rare earth complex in July 2026 have exposed a deep structural split. Rather than a rising tide lifting all commodities uniformly, the market is undergoing intense bifurcation - with abundant light rare earths remaining largely flat while strategically critical magnet inputs and heavy rare earths experience severe upward pressure. July's market behaviour signals that the cost of securing supply chain compliance is no longer a theoretical projection, but an active operational premium being transacted in the physical spot market.
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.