Rare earth prices will fluctuate rangebound in the short term

【SMM Rare Earth Flash】 A U.S. District Court judge has issued a preliminary injunction ordering Dateline Resources to halt operations at its Colosseum gold-rare earth project within California's Mojave National Preserve. The court ruled that the National Park Service's 2025 approval decision "violated the law," requiring the company to obtain updated approval to continue operating. Dateline has 10 weeks to secure the site and demobilize equipment and personnel. Managing Director Stephen Baghdadi expressed deep disappointment and said the company is considering appeal or compensation options. The project, adjacent to MP Materials' Mountain Pass mine, holds both gold resources and rare earth exploration potential and was previously deemed important for national security and economic development.

【SMM Rare Earth Flash】 Toronto-based Neo Performance Materials announced that commercial production has commenced at its Estonia magnet plant, with first products delivered to an EV traction motor customer. The plant, commissioned in September 2025, has a capacity of 2,000 t/y, with Phase 2 planned to expand to about 5,000 t/y. Long term, Neo targets 20,000 t/y of permanent magnets globally, covering an estimated 10-15% of demand outside China. Its current customers are Tier 1 motor manufacturers, with plans to expand into industrial, robotics, and clean energy applications. On September 2, Neo signed an offtake agreement with France's Carester, which will supply separated dysprosium and terbium oxides and other raw materials, strengthening Europe's non-China rare earth magnet supply chain.