There were obstacles in auxiliary material imports to Myanmar, China’s unnamed rare earth oxide imports continued to decline MoM.

Recently, the General Administration of Customs released the import and export data for September 2023. According to the customs data, the imports of rare earth metal ores in September 2023 was 5,003 mt, down 39% YoY and 22% MoM. The cumulative import volume from January to September 2023 was 52,976 mt, down 11% YoY.

In September 2023, the imports of unnamed rare earth oxides was 2,785 mt, up 140% YoY and down 28% MoM. The cumulative import volume from January to September 2023 was 33,393 mt, up 395% YoY. More than 95% of the imports of unnamed rare earth oxides came from Myanmar. Since August, the import of rare earths from Myanmar has been repeatedly hindered, and as of now, the smooth flow of auxiliary materials into Myanmar has not been restored. Some miners have indicated that the mining output in the mining areas is currently low. However, with the continuous decline in rare earth prices, the purchasing willingness of separation plants remains low.

In September, China imported 1,457 mt of mixed rare earth carbonates, up 6839% YoY and 87% MoM. The cumulative import volume from January to September 2023 was 11867 mt, up 705% YoY.