August 3 SMM Rare Earth Afternoon Transaction Comment

[SMM Rare Earth Flash] China Northern Rare Earth’s subsidiary, Tianjiao Qingmei, has recently seen its self-developed nano cerium oxide precision polishing fluid pass production line validation at multiple leading optical clients, achieving stable mass production and supply. This breaks the long-standing reliance on imports for high-end optical polishing consumables and further expands the high-end application market for rare earth functional materials. It is understood that the product employs a "chemical-mechanical" synergistic polishing technology, which can meet the precision polishing needs of high-end optics, automotive optics, AR/VR, and other fields, achieving breakthroughs in key technologies such as nanoparticle preparation and slurry stability. Tianjiao Qingmei stated that it will leverage the advantages of the rare earth industry chain to continue refining its product portfolio of high-end polishing fluids, driving the extension of rare earth products into high-value-added and high-end manufacturing sectors.

[SMM Rare Earth Express] The Malaysian government stated that it is evaluating adjustments to its unprocessed rare earth export policy, proposing to allow the resumption of exports of some unprocessed rare earths under conditions such as accompanying investment and technology transfer, in order to balance resource development with industrial development. Deputy Minister Syed of Malaysia’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability said that the relevant policy is still under study, and no implementation timetable has been set. Malaysia has suspended the export of unprocessed rare earths since 2024 to promote investment in the domestic rare earth processing industry. Official data shows that Malaysia has about 16.1 million mt of inferred rare earth resources, with a potential value of approximately 970 billion ringgit.