[SMM rare Earth Daily Review 07.29] the rare earth market is in a strong wait-and-see mood, only the terbium price is down.

On July 28, China Rare Earth Group held its 2026 mid-year science and technology work meeting at headquarters, systematically summarizing H1 scientific and technological innovation work and comprehensively deploying key tasks for H2. The meeting noted that the Group's scientific and technological innovation work made steady progress in H1, closely focused on the core mission of serving national strategic security, and achieved positive progress in areas such as research system construction, key technology breakthroughs, innovation platform establishment, and key project layout. The innovation landscape shifted from "a single flower blooming" to "a hundred flowers in full bloom."

On July 24, the Hangzhou sub-competition of the “Rare Earth Leads the Future, Innovation Wins in Lucheng” Baotou Rare Earth Future Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition was held. The competition was hosted by the Baotou Municipal Government and organized by the Office of the Talent Work Leading Group of the Municipal Party Committee, the Municipal Science and Technology Bureau, the Administrative Committee of the Rare Earth High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and other units, aiming to attract talents and promote innovation through the competition and to foster deep integration between Baotou’s rare earth industry and the scientific and innovation resources of the Yangtze River Delta. The competition attracted numerous universities and research institutes, innovation teams, and technology enterprises from the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing, and other regions to compete on the same stage.

Li Yiren, Vice President of the China Iron and Steel Association (CISA) and President of the Metallurgical Industry Sub-Council of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), introduced that China leads the world in rare earth reserves, capacity, and separation and purification technologies. Applying high-abundance rare earth elements such as lanthanum and cerium to steel materials can not only diversify and efficiently utilize China’s advantageous rare earth resources, but also drive the transformation and upgrading of the steel industry, achieving the synergistic development goal of “rare earth + steel” for enhanced efficiency.