China to Address US Concerns on Rare Earths and Critical Minerals Supply Chain Shortages

[SMM Rare Earth News Flash] According to foreign media reports, the Australian government ordered six China-linked shareholders of rare earth company Northern Minerals to sell their stakes within two weeks, with combined holdings of nearly 27%. This was the second such intervention by Canberra in two years, aimed at protecting the country's heavy rare earth industry from external influence. The company is developing the Browns Range heavy rare earth project in Western Australia, where products such as dysprosium and terbium are critical to national defense and the semiconductor industry.

Arafura Rare Earths, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, has signed a binding offtake letter of intent with global physical rare earth trader Traxys North America to support the revival and development of domestic manufacturing in the US automotive, national defense, and advanced technology sectors. Traxys plans to supply 500 mt/year of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide and 7.5 mt/year of dysprosium-terbium (DyTb) oxide from Arafura's Nolans project in Australia's Northern Territory to US enterprises, including potential supply to "Project Vault" managed by the US Export-Import Bank (Exim). The plan aims to provide a tactical buffer against critical minerals supply shocks.

Brazil's antitrust regulator Cade launched an investigation into US rare earth company USAR's proposed acquisition of Brazilian rare earth producer Serra Verde. Serra Verde is currently Brazil's only operational rare earth mine. The transaction includes a 15-year offtake agreement between Serra Verde and a special purpose vehicle funded by US government agencies including the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy. The agreement explicitly stipulates lowest prices for rare earth elements such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium.