Japan and US Agree to Strengthen Critical Minerals Cooperation, Including Rare Earths and Deep-Sea Resources

[SMM Rare Earth Price Flash] As of now, the quoted price of cerium oxide in Sichuan has been raised to 15,000 yuan/mt. Major cerium metal producers in Inner Mongolia have raised their quotations to 35,000-35,500 yuan/mt, while some smaller producers quoted 34,500-35,000 yuan/mt, and the lowest quotation in Sichuan was 35,000 yuan/mt.

[SMM Rare Earth Bulletin] Chilean rare earth producer Aclara Resources announced that its rare earth separation pilot plant in Blacksburg, Virginia, has commenced operations. The plant sources mixed rare earth carbonate from the company’s ionic clay deposits in Brazil and Chile, and is designed to produce dysprosium, terbium, and Pr-Nd. It is expected to produce light rare earth oxides for the first time in May 2026 and heavy rare earth oxides in August.

Faraday rotator supplier GRANGPT issued a statement on production cuts. The core upstream raw material for Faraday rotators is SGGG (Substituted Gadolinium Gallium Garnet), which is made from bismuth-substituted rare-earth garnet using the liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) method. Nearly all of the rare earths used by GRANOPT’s substrate supplier, SMM Precision, relied on supply from China, and the time consumed in the current acceptance process by China’s Ministry of Commerce has far exceeded expectations, so the company will gradually reduce Faraday rotator production starting in January 2026.