In September 2025, with the successive approvals from the Fair Competition Commission of Tanzania and the Australian court, Shenghe Resources' acquisition of Australia's Peak Rare Earths Limited was largely finalized. Valued at A$195 million (approximately 917 million yuan), the transaction began with an initial equity investment in 2022 and was completed after more than three years, highlighting the strategic positioning of Chinese enterprises in overseas rare earth resources, particularly rare earth assets in Africa. Global demand for rare earths continued to grow amid the energy transition and technological advancement, making supply chain diversification a strategic priority for countries. With its abundant rare earth resource reserves and development potential, Africa is attracting the attention of global capital and enterprises.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Pr-Nd Prices Continue to Weaken, Medium-Heavy Rare Earth Market Trading Remains Sluggish] This week, the magnetic material market overall showed a pattern of stable prices but sluggish trading. Upstream raw material prices for praseodymium-neodymium oxide and metal were generally stable with a slight fall, providing fundamental cost support for magnetic material prices, but failing to effectively boost market activity. Market trading activity weakened, as the traditional September-October peak season stockpiling cycle is nearing its end, with previously accumulated rigid demand largely released, while new orders appeared somewhat weak.

Neo Performance Materials (TSX: NEO) has officially opened its $75 million facility in Estonia, becoming the first to mass produce rare earth magnets for Europe’s automotive and wind energy sectors.

This week, rare earth prices fluctuated rangebound, and the market is expected to remain unlikely to break through the current price range. This situation is primarily driven by contractions on both the supply and demand sides, along with intense competition between upstream and downstream players.  

Sampling at Victory Metals' North Stanmore heavy rare earth project in Western Australia revealed the highest-grade orebody among global clay-type rare earth mines, with a dysprosium grade as high as 0.0218%.

SMM News: On the evening of September 16, Beijing time, after U.S. stocks opened, rare earth concept stocks bucked the trend and strengthened. USA Rare Earth's stock price surged over 15% at the opening, American Resources rose over 9%, and MP Materials gained over 3%. Although this round of gains was directly driven by market sentiment, it fundamentally reflects investors' strong expectations for the recent intensive rare earth industry support policies introduced by the Trump administration.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Pr-Nd Prices Fluctuate Rangebound, Medium-Heavy Rare Earth Market Remains Sluggish] This week, Pr-Nd alloy was quoted at 695,000-705,000 yuan/mt, pulling back from the price at the beginning of the week. At the start of the week, influenced by tenders for Pr-Nd alloy from several major magnetic material enterprises, market sentiment turned bullish again, and metal enterprises showed a weaker willingness to sell at low prices, driving a slight price increase. However, after the concentrated procurement by downstream magnetic material enterprises concluded, overall market inquiries were sluggish, with few actual transactions, leading to a price pullback.