12.07.2019/XNUMX/XNUMX - Rare earth prices have fallen slightly this week, especially praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium and terbium.

Affected by the G20 meeting on Trade and Critical Metals / Rare Earth Elements and sporadically ongoing discussions, the dealers of praseodymium and neodymium began offering lower quotes. While prices for dysprosium products also declined due to the increased supply of separation and waste facilities, and market participants took a wait-and-see attitude.

Terbium products also declined as trading activity declined during the week, as prices were obviously too high in the previous period. Nevertheless, the market participants for the aftermarket continued to be optimistic.

In Baotou, the price of mixed rare earth carbonate concentrate was constant at 12600 RMB / T (w / o VAT) and 14.238 RMB (tax incl.). These were the contract prices between Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union Co. Ltd. and China Northern Rare Earth (Group) High Tech Co Ltd. In Sichuan, the price for bastnaesite was stable at 23.000 RMB / T. The supply of ion ore adsorption rare earth ore was stable at 150.000 to 155.000 RMB / T (excluding VAT) due to a lack of deliveries and 170.000 to 175.000 RMB / T (incl. VAT.). It was expected that the prices of ion-adsorption-type rare earth ore would remain higher.

market forecast

Politically, the joint inspection team of the Chinese government continues to organize the fight against pollution and the illegal production of rare earths. Traders also awaited the news on trade and critical metals / rare earths from the G20 summit, with early signs that the trade war will ease.

Separation costs increased due to resource constraints and limited imports of rare earth chloride, which further supported rising rare earth prices in the end user market.

Despite lower demand in the NdFeB industry, the price of rare earths will remain stable even without supply of raw materials.
Most separation plants are in no hurry to ship and still take in the end user market optimistic attitudes to the price of rare earths.

Overall, it can be assumed that the supply of rare earths remains stable.

market Highlights

China's CNMC agreed to work on the rare earth project in Madagascar. A department of the China Nonferrous Metal Mining Group (CNMC) said it has signed a non-binding memorandum with Singapore-listed ISR Capital, in which the Chinese company could act as a contractor for the rare earth project in Madagascar with the right to purchase products.

Chinese manufacturer of rare earth magnets is expanding with increasing demand for electric vehicles.

Jingci Material Science Co is expanding its 6.500 tonne production capacity for neodymium-iron-boron-NdFeB for short-magnetic material from the current year-end to around 8.000 tons, sales director Qiu Yi said on the sidelines of a Shanghai industry conference last week. The ultimate goal is to increase capacity to 12.000 tonnes without specifying a timeframe.