Rare earths
Overview
Rare earths or rare earth elements (REE) are crucial to modern society, driving innovation across automotives, electronics, renewable energy, healthcare, defence and aerospace, and as a catalyst in industrial and chemical processing.
As demand for highly engineered products continues to grow, manufacturers that rely on rare earths face a limited supply of marketable product outside a handful of Chinese producers.
Argus Rare Earths Analytics and Argus Non-Ferrous Markets address this unique challenge in the rare earths industry by delivering price data and forecasts through on-the-ground expertise and a proven methodology that supports long-term outlooks as well as supply and demand fundamentals.
Rare earths coverage
Argus produces more than 70 price assessments for the 17 rare earth elements, as well as delivering best-in-class data, news and analysis to support your decision making. In addition, the Argus Rare Earths Analytics service also provides market analysis and 10-year forecasts for supply, demand, prices and projects across key rare earths:
- Cerium prices
- Dysprosium prices
- Erbium prices
- Europium prices
- Gadolinium prices
- Lanthanum prices
- Mischmetal prices
- Neodymium prices
- Praseodymium prices
- Praseodymium-neodymium prices
- Samarium prices
- Terbium prices
- Yttrium prices
Latest rare earth news
Browse the latest market moving news on the global rare earth industry.
Australia’s Lynas cuts Jan-Mar rare earth oxide output
Australia’s Lynas cuts Jan-Mar rare earth oxide output
Sydney, 28 April (Argus) — Australian mineral producer Lynas Rare Earths reduced its rare earth oxide output by 46pc on the year in January-March, because of maintenance and improvement work across multiple plants. Lynas left its total oxide production target for the fiscal year ending 30 June unchanged at 10,500t in its January-March quarterly report on 28 April. The company's improvements should enable it to increase production over April-June, following two quarters of declining output. Lynas produced 1,911t of rare earth oxides, including 1,509t of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide, in January-March. The company cut its NdPr oxide production by 12pc on the year over that period, prioritising NdPr oxide over other rare earth oxides ( see table) . NdPr oxide accounted for 79pc of the company's total oxide output in January-March, down from 49pc a year earlier. But Lynas' NdPr oxide share of production may drop in April-June. The company built dysprosium and terbium processing circuits in Malaysia last quarter, and expects to start refining the minerals in May and June, respectively. Lynas' expansion into dysprosium and terbium production comes as Chinese manufacturers — the largest exporters of dysprosium and terbium — weigh the impact of recent rare earth export controls, with some firms limiting offers . Lynas produces oxides in Malaysia using rare earths mined and initially processed in Western Australia (WA). The company spent the January-March quarter doing kiln maintenance work in Malaysia and improving its WA processing methods. Its Malaysian work finished during the quarter and its WA improvements are ongoing, the company said on 28 April. Lynas chemically treated rare earth carbonates from its WA plant before converting them to oxides in October-December, because of sulphate impurities, slowing production over the quarter. Its WA process changes are meant to prevent that from happening again. Lynas continued work on a Texas rare earth plant in January-March. The company is in talks with the US government over funding support for the project, the company said on 28 April. Recent US tariffs and water treatment issues could increase its Texas project costs, it added. The first Trump administration backed Lynas' US project in 2019, invoking the Defence Production Act to fund marketing, engineering, and design work. Argus ' praseodymium-neodymium oxide min 99pc fob China price has been quite volatile over the past three months. The price was last assessed at $56,000/t on 25 April, down from $62,250/t on 24 February and $57,150/t on 27 January. By Avinash Govind Lynas Oxide Production Jan-Mar '25 Jan-Mar '24 Oct-Dec '24 Jul-Mar '25 Jul-Mar '24 y-o-y Change (%) YTD Change (%) Rare earth oxide (total) | t 1,911 3,545 2,617 7,250 8,720 -46 -17 NdPr oxide | t 1,509 1,724 1,292 4,478 4,151 -12 7.9 NdPr oxide share | % 79 49 49 62 48 62 30 Lynas Rare Earths Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Freeport expects tariffs to increase costs 5pc
Freeport expects tariffs to increase costs 5pc
Houston, 24 April (Argus) — US-based copper producer Freeport-McMoRan expects tariffs to increase the costs of goods needed for operations by 5pc, as suppliers will likely pass on tariff-related costs. The 145pc tariffs imposed by the US on China on 10 April will likely have the largest influence on the estimated 5pc increase, according to Freeport-McMoRan chief executive officer Kathleen Quirk. Approximately 40pc of the company's US costs will not be subject to tariffs, as they relate to labor and services. Copper is currently exempt from tariffs after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on 25 February launching a Section 232 investigation into the effect of copper imports on US national and economic security. Freeport said that its first quarter copper sales volumes of 872mn lbs exceeded its earlier estimate of 850mn lbs. But copper sales revenue decreased to $872mn this quarter from $1.1bn the first quarter of 2024. Copper production and sales were pressured in the quarter by shut operations at its Manyar smelter in Indonesia following a fire in October . The company expects start-up activities to begin at the smelter in the second quarter and return to full operations by the end of 2025. The company's molybdenum first quarter sales remained the same as 2024 first quarter's at $20mn. Freeport's net income for the first quarter was $352mn, a decrease from $473mn in the first quarter of 2024. By Reagan Patrowicz Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
SA Recycling expands Atlanta shredder rail spur
SA Recycling expands Atlanta shredder rail spur
Pittsburgh, 24 April (Argus) — US scrap metal processor SA Recycling is expanding the rail spur at its Doraville, Georgia, shredder, which is about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta. The expansion will nearly double rail capacity at the facility by boosting its daily carloads from 14 up to 25 per day, according to railroad Norfolk Southern. The company worked with the railroad to establish a direct connection between its scrap yard and the rail yard to eliminate mainline switching conflicts and congestion. SA's Doraville shredder can process up to 200 cars/hour. It is one of 28 SA operations across the state, according to the company's website. The Orange County, California-based company is a 50-50 joint venture between Sims and Adams Steel. By Brad MacAulay Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
US port fees threaten some metal shippers
US port fees threaten some metal shippers
Pittsburgh, 24 April (Argus) — US scrap metal shippers will see varying degrees of exposure to US Trade Representative's (USTR) revised proposal for port fees on Chinese-built and operated ships. USTR finalized a plan 17 April to apply a $50/net ton (nt) fee on Chinese operators and owners and a $18/nt fee on Chinese-built ships that dock in the US. The fees will begin in mid-October with incremental increases over the next three years. The agency determined that China's dominance of the maritime, logistics, and shipbuilding sectors has reduced supply chain resilience by displacing foreign firms, lessening competition, and creating dependencies on the country. The number of US-flagged or -built ships has decreased by 34pc since 2010 to 185 in 2024, US Bureau of Transportation statistics data show. US-flagged or -built vessels accounted for 0.4pc of the global fleet in 2019. The fees are less severe than the industry anticipated, but sweeping exemptions will result in uneven impacts for bulk and container shippers. Fees largely spare bulk shippers Bulk scrap metal shippers will have the least direct impact from the new policies because ships arriving empty or in ballast and vessels carrying 80,000 deadweight tons (dwt) or less will be excluded from the charges associated with using a Chinese-built ship. Chinese-built ships account for 41pc of the 14,661 active vessels in the dry bulk global fleet, according to global ship tracking analytics firm Kpler. Bulk scrap exporters most commonly use Handysize vessels, but some occasionally fix bigger ships. The average weight of a bulk ferrous scrap export vessel in 2024 was 33,500 metric tonnes (t), according to manifest data. Even the largest Supramax vessel booked by east coast scrap exporters in 2024, the Denak D , would still qualify for the weight exemption. Most market participants are still working through the notice and waiting for more details regarding the exemptions. The USTR has not responded to requests for clarification on exemptions. Chinese-owned and Chinese-operated vessels would still be subject to the fees . Bulk shippers will be exposed to this direct cost, unless they shy away from Chinese-owned or operated vessel fixtures. But competition for these vessels will likely raise freight rates and availability as other commodity sectors shift their bookings as well, market sources said. Mills see some exposure on metallics US steelmakers importing bulk scrap will also broadly be spared from higher port fees related to Chinese-built vessels because of the weight exemptions, but some mills will be more exposed on imports of pig iron. Pig iron shippers occasionally use Kamsarmax vessels over 80,000dwt. But the vast majority of US pig iron imports travels in smaller vessels, such as Supramax or Ultramax size, which tend to have capacities well below the 80,000dwt limit. USTR offered exemptions to short-haul voyages under 2,000 nautical miles, which will help to relieve costs for shipments on the Great Lakes or between the US Gulf coast and Mexico. Mills would still be exposed to fees on any Chinese-owned or Chinese-operated vessel. Fees put container shippers at risk US container scrap exporters are the most vulnerable to the USTR's finalized plan on Chinese ship operators' vessels calling at US ports. Chinese built vessels account for about 50pc of all container ships globally, a market source said. USTR plans to impose a fee of $120 for each container discharged on a Chinese-built vessel beginning in mid-October with annual increases over the next three years reaching $250 for every container in April 2028. US shippers typically load about 25t in containers on the east coast and around 20t on the west coast. Containerized traders are bracing for higher freight costs later this year once the fees go into effect. USTR proposed exemptions for container vessels with a capacity no greater than 4,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), but most of the ships servicing the US export market are minimum of 8,000 TEUs, market participants said. The added port fees will likely get passed through to US customers via higher freight costs, a freight forwarder said. But for the short-term, blank sailings and new vessel capacity coming online has helped to keep rates steady, according to market participants. These added costs, paired with broader concerns of a flagging economy have begun to worry market participants over possible margin compression in the fourth quarter. By Brad MacAulay and James Marshall Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
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