China's medium-heavy rare earth oxide production rose slightly in June, with scrap recycling playing a significant role [SMM analysis]

Published: Jun 30, 2025 17:34
[SMM Analysis: China's Medium-Heavy Rare Earth Oxide Production Rose Slightly in June, Thanks to Scrap Recycling] In June 2025, China's medium-heavy rare earth oxide production showed a slight MoM increase. Despite encountering some challenges in the import of ion-adsorption ore that month, with the overall situation not being very optimistic, fortunately, most separation enterprises had sufficient inventory of raw materials, enabling them to maintain production stability in such an environment without being significantly impacted.

SMM reported on June 30: In June 2025, China's production of medium-heavy rare earth oxides showed a slight MoM increase. Despite facing challenges in the import of ion-adsorption ore this month, with the overall situation not being overly optimistic, fortunately, most separation enterprises had sufficient inventory of raw materials, enabling them to maintain production stability in such an environment without being significantly impacted.

However, at the same time, there was a significant increase in the output of rare earth oxide scrap. According to scrap recycling enterprises, the scrap market has always been a seller's market, with relatively tight supply. Especially in June, the price of NdFeB scrap increased, which further stimulated the willingness of magnetic material enterprises to sell scrap. As more and more magnetic material enterprises were willing to sell scrap to recycling enterprises, the operating rate of recycling enterprises also increased significantly.

This series of changes ultimately led to an increase in the production of medium-heavy rare earth oxides. The high operating rate of recycling enterprises and their ability to extract rare earth oxides from scrap became the main reasons for the increase in production. This once again proves that in the rare earth industry, the importance of scrap recycling and processing links cannot be ignored, as they play a crucial role in the stable operation and sustainable development of the entire industry chain.

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