SHANGHAI, Jun 8 (SMM) – SMM data showed that China's didymium oxide output stood at 6,395 mt in May.

In terms of regions, the top five provinces with the highest output of didymium oxide in May were Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Sichuan and Shandong. Some raw ore and waste separation plants in Jiangxi region ceased production in April and resumed production in May. Some raw ore separation enterprises in Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, Sichuan and other places reduced and stopped production in May. The reasons for the reduction in production were the normal equipment maintenance and the impact of environmental protection.

Prices of rare earth products showed a downward trend in June. Some separation plants terminated the purchase of ore. The production of raw ore separation enterprises in Shandong was affected by environmental protection this month. In addition, prices of raw materials were still relatively high. Near the overseas summer break, downstream demand for rare earth is expected to be at a relatively low level and domestic didymium oxide output is expected to decline slightly from the previous month.