Aclara Resources' Rare Earth Separation Plant in Virginia Begins Operations, Targets 2026 Production

[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.

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.

[SMM Analysis:Rare Earth Ore Imports Surge in Early 2026, Exceeding Demand and Causing Surplus] According to the latest data from the General Administration of Customs, from January to February 2026, China’s imports of mixed rare earth carbonate were about 3,013.7 mt, up 321% YoY. Over the same period, imports of unlisted rare earth oxides were about 12,860.4 mt, also posting a sharp increase of 209% YoY.