Rare earth scrap prices continue to rise, suppliers are reluctant to sell their inventory [SMM Weekly Review of Recycled Rare Earths]

July 10 (SMM) -

This week, Pr-Nd recycled from NdFeB scrap was quoted at 494-499 yuan/kg, dysprosium recycled from NdFeB scrap at 1,610-1,621 yuan/kg, terbium recycled from NdFeB scrap at 5,439-5,550 yuan/kg, gadolinium recycled from NdFeB scrap at 89-110 yuan/kg, and holmium recycled from NdFeB scrap at 200-240 yuan/kg.

The scrap market experienced a series of price increases this week, primarily driven by rising oxide market prices. The upward trend in oxide prices lifted scrap market values. With improving end-use demand, magnetic material enterprises hold an optimistic outlook for future rare earth prices. They generally believe that scrap value will further appreciate alongside rising oxide prices. Under this market expectation, some scrap suppliers adopted a stockpiling strategy, holding back sales in anticipation of higher future prices to maximize profits.

However, this wait-and-see approach posed significant challenges to recycling enterprises. Reduced scrap supply made procurement difficult. To ensure stable production and continuous scrap supply, some recyclers proactively raised purchase offers to incentivize suppliers to release inventory.

As end-user demand gradually recovers, magnetic material enterprises saw improving order volumes. This indicates that scrap output will increase alongside production activities. Scrap circulation is expected to improve in the coming period, alleviating procurement pressures for recyclers. Overall, the scrap market is projected to maintain stable operation.

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