SHANGHAI, Mar 31 (SMM) - Prices of mainstream rare earth oxides such as PrNd oxide and gadolinium oxide continued to be stable with signs of falling, and the prices of middle and heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium decreased slightly.

Inquiries of PrNd oxide were quiet, and the mainstream transaction prices were slightly lowered to 950,000-960,000 yuan/mt. Today's mainstream transaction prices of PrNd alloy corrected slightly to 1.17-1.19 million yuan/mt, with some traded at 1.16 million yuan/mt. The mainstream quotation of neodymium oxide dropped to 1.00-1.03 million yuan/mt, while the prices of neodymium metal were lowered to 1.29-1.31 million yuan/mt following the neodymium oxide market.

Mainstream transaction prices of terbium metal stabilised at 18.1-18.2 million yuan/mt, and three small orders were heard in the market. Dysprosium iron can replace terbium metal in a small amount in magnetic materials, and the mainstream prices of dysprosium iron dropped to 2.68-2.75 million yuan/mt.

Gadolinium iron can partly replace PrNd alloy in magnetic materials. The mainstream transaction prices of gadolinium iron were mostly between 570,000-590,000 yuan/mt. The prices of holmium oxide dropped to 1.70-1.75 million yuan/mt; and the mainstream prices of holmium iron fell along with the holmium oxide market, and fell to 1.71-1.76 million yuan/mt today.

It is reported that in terms of imported ores, the MP mine in the United States has undergone equipment maintenance in March, reducing production by 40% compared with last month. The raw material inventory of separation enterprises in Inner Mongolia, Sichuan and other places in China is still sufficient, which is not affected by the decrease in the imports of MP ore from the United States.