Myanmar
Rare Earth Sector Overview
REO Production (2025 est.)
222 kt
Reserves
N/A
Source: USGS MCS 2026
World's Largest HREE Supplier - Invisible Supply Chain
Myanmar has become the world's dominant source of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs) - including terbium and dysprosium - extracted from ionic clay deposits concentrated in Kachin State. Despite producing an estimated 40,000 - 60,000 tonnes of REO annually, virtually all output flows directly into China for processing with no domestic separation capability.
Operations are largely artisanal and controlled by ethnic armed groups operating outside central government authority. Production data is opaque and inconsistent across international sources. Instability, conflict, and Chinese capital dominance make Myanmar a high-risk but structurally critical link in the global HREE supply chain - one that Western supply chain diversification strategies have yet to meaningfully address.
100% CHINA EXPORTSupply Chain Risk
Critical Dependency
Myanmar's dominance in HREEs creates a single-point-of-failure for global magnet supply chains. No Western alternative exists at comparable scale.
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
Myanmar is the world's largest producer of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREEs), particularly terbium and dysprosium from ionic clay deposits in Kachin and Shan States. Production is dominated by artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations, most of which export concentrate directly to China for processing under informal arrangements. The sector operates largely outside formal regulatory frameworks, with ongoing civil conflict adding significant supply-chain risk. Despite output exceeding China's official HREE quota in some years, no formal separation or processing capacity exists in-country.
Mining Projects in Myanmar
Production in Myanmar comes predominantly from artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations rather than registered industrial projects. These operations are informal, distributed, and not tracked in standard project registries - so no individual project records are maintained here.
Production volumes are estimated from export data and USGS surveys. See the stats above for the latest figures.
Processing Facilities in Myanmar
Pangwa In-Situ Leaching Zone
Chipwi In-Situ Leaching Zone
Pangwa (Pang War) Artisanal Zone
Chipwi Mining Cluster
Kan Paik Ti Border Gate
Active ESG Alerts
1 alert linked to Myanmar