In 2020, in the face of the severe test brought by the epidemic and the complex and changeable domestic and foreign environment, China's rare earth industry strengthened self-discipline in production and operation, promoted supply-side structural reform, and promoted the transformation and upgrading of the industry.

Looking back on the extraordinary 2020, the China rare Earth Industry Association, Baotou rare Earth Research Institute and the editorial department of rare Earth Information magazine jointly sorted out the "Ten Major events of China's rare Earth Industry in 2020". In this way, we pay tribute to the scientists, entrepreneurs and the vast number of rare earth people who have contributed to the scientific and technological progress and industrial development of China's rare earth industry.

I. the national rare earth industry actively responds to the epidemic situation of novel coronavirus.

With the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic in 2020, the national rare earth industry fully responded to the calls and requirements of party committees and governments at all levels and relevant management departments. In April 2020, the rare Earth Office of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology commissioned the China rare Earth Industry Association and the China Nonferrous Metals Industry Association to sort out and summarize the policy documents suitable for the declaration of rare earth enterprises to form the Compendium of supporting policies related to the resumption of work and production in the rare Earth Industry. The China rare Earth Industry Association issued several suggestions on how to do a good job in epidemic prevention and control among China's rare earth industry association units, and exempted all members from membership dues in 2020. The Party Committee of the Council of the rare Earth Society of China issued the Circular on providing a strong political guarantee for winning the War of Prevention and Control of the epidemic, making it a major political task to win the war of prevention and control of the epidemic. Rare earth enterprises adhere to the general tone of their work of striving for progress in the midst of stability, the concept of new development, supply-side structural reform, epidemic prevention and control and industrial development Synchronize, pay close attention to the requirements of high-quality development, grasp "six stability" and promote "six guarantees". Strive to overcome the adverse impact of the epidemic on industrial development, and strive to minimize the losses caused by the impact of the epidemic, which fully demonstrates the responsibility and responsibility of the country's rare earth industry.

II. The total amount control plan for rare earth mining and smelting separation in China continues to increase.

China has been increasing the total amount control index of rare earth mining in an orderly manner since 2018. On June 30, 2020, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced the total amount control index of rare earth mining and smelting separation in 2020, which was 140000 tons and 135000 tons respectively. Compared with 2019, mineral products increased by 6.1%, and smelting separation products increased by 6.3%.

III. The new resource tax law has been formally implemented.

On September 1, 2020, the Resource tax Law of the people's Republic of China was implemented. In the field related to rare earths, the resource tax law clearly stipulates that the tax rate for medium and heavy rare earths shall be reduced from 27% to 20%, and that for light rare earths will be reduced to a wide range of tax rates of 7% to 12%. The specific tax rate shall be determined by the people's government at the provincial level.

IV. National Development and Reform Commission and Ministry of Commerce: foreign investors are prohibited from investing in rare earth exploration, mining and mineral processing

On June 24, 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce issued the Special Management measures for Foreign Investment access (negative list) (2020 Edition). In accordance with the principle of only decreasing but not increasing, this revision further reduces the negative list of foreign investment access. Among them, the national negative list of foreign investment access was reduced from 40 to 33, and the negative list of foreign investment access in free trade pilot zones was reduced from 37 to 30. After repeated downsizing of the negative list, the "prohibition of investment in rare earths, radioactive minerals, tungsten exploration, mining and mineral processing" is still listed as a special management measure for foreign investment, highlighting the strategic significance of resources such as rare earths.

5. Commodities such as rare earth metals and minerals will no longer be subject to tariffs on the United States.

On May 12, 2020, the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance issued a notice entitled "the second exclusion list of the second batch of goods levied with tariffs on the United States" issued by the Customs tariff Commission of the State Council, which involves commodities such as rare earth metals and minerals in the field of rare earths. For the goods listed in the list, from May 19, 2020 to May 18, 2021 (one year), the duties imposed by the anti-US 301 measures will no longer be levied, and the duties and taxes that have been levied will be refunded.

VI. Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the establishment of the National rare Earth functional Materials Innovation Center

In order to thoroughly implement the spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions on the development of rare earth industry, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has actively promoted the accumulation of innovative resources in the industry and accelerated the construction of a manufacturing innovation center in the field of rare earth functional materials. In April 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology approved the establishment of the National rare Earth functional Materials Innovation Center by National Ruike Chuang rare Earth functional Materials Co., Ltd. The National rare Earth functional Materials Innovation Center is jointly organized by the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Inner Mongolia Autonomous region and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Jiangxi Province to jointly set up key rare earth backbone enterprises and colleges and universities. the innovation center is a new innovation platform integrating key common technology research and development, pilot incubation, test verification and achievement transfer and transformation.

VII. Release of a number of major standards related to rare earths

In March 2020, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment issued the standard of "Application for sewage discharge permit and Technical Specification for rare Earth Metals smelting" to further improve the pollution discharge permit system of the rare earth industry and promote the green and high-quality development of the rare earth industry. The first mandatory national standard GB 39176-2020 "Packaging, marking, Transportation and Storage of rare Earth products" put forward by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in August 2020 will be implemented on August 1st, 2021. This standard will help to ensure the quality of rare earth products, reduce environmental hazards, ensure the transportation safety of rare earth products, and protect the health and safety of workers. In October 2020, two international standards ISO 22444.1 (rare earth terminology: minerals and compounds) and ISO 22444.2 (rare earth terminology, part 2: metals and their alloys) led by China were released, which became the first batch of international standards issued in the rare earth field.

VIII. Announcement of the winners and winners of the 2020 rare Earth Science and Technology Award

All the projects participating in the 2020 China rare Earth Science and Technology Award have gone through formal review, network review, professional review, evaluation by the evaluation committee and approval by the award committee, and solicited the opinions of the recipients, and finally determined 9 first-class prizes and 11 second-class prizes. The first prize projects are "Development and industrialization of rare Earth replacement High performance Sintered Ferrite Materials", "rare Earth Catalysts for High efficiency purification of typical Air pollutants", "High performance Phosphors and applications for full Spectrum High Color LED Lighting", "Research and industrialization of Sintered NdFeB heavy rare Earth Grain Boundary Diffusion Technology", "Design and Control Research of interphase Coupling of rare Earth Magnetic Materials", The project "R & D and Application of key Technologies for efficient recovery of Scandium from laterite Nickel Ore", "Research on Thermal Stability of rare Earth High temperature Thermal Barrier Coatings", "continuous production Technology and industrialization of 10,000 ton Light rare Earth Carbonate" project, "Discovery of new types of rare earth ore deposits with ion adsorption and innovative R & D of exploration means" project.

IX. Industry-university-research exchange activities in the rare earth industry throughout the country are actively carried out.

With the deep development of industry-university-research integration in the national rare earth industry, various industry conferences have become an important model to promote the rapid development of the rare earth industry after the epidemic. From September 10 to 12, 2020, the fourth Bayan Obo Resources Strategy Seminar was held in Baotou to build a new green and sustainable application model of Bayan Obo rare earth resources. On September 16, the second fourth General meeting of the China rare Earth Industry Association and the special report meeting of academicians and experts were held in Chengdu to sum up the experience of epidemic prevention and control and industrial development. From October 20 to 21, the 2020 Annual meeting of China rare Earth Society and the Conference on Green Development and efficient Utilization of rare Earth Resources in Jiangxi (Ganzhou) were successfully held in Ganzhou to deepen the integrated development of industry, university and research. The 12th China Baotou rare Earth Industry International Forum was held in Baotou to promote the rare earth industry to draw a blueprint for the development of the 14th five-year Plan. From December 10 to 11, the second industry-university-research docking exchange seminar on China's rare earth industry was successfully held in Beijing, promoting the high-quality development of the rare earth industry.

X. the China rare Earth Industry Association has realized the reform of decoupling from the administrative organs.

According to the notice of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on issuing the General Plan for the decoupling of Trade Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Administrative organs, and the implementation opinions of ten departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, on comprehensively promoting the decoupling reform of chambers of commerce of trade associations and administrative organs, in order to speed up the formation of a modern social organization system with separation of politics and society, clear powers and responsibilities, and autonomy in accordance with the law, After examination and approval, the China rare Earth Industry Association was approved by the Joint Organization Office of the Ten departments of the State Council in 2020, completed the task of decoupling and realized the reform of decoupling from administrative organs. The decoupling reform will promote the industry association to innovate the management system and operating mechanism, stimulate the internal vitality and development power, return to the true nature of the third party of social groups, and enhance the service function of the industry.