In July 2026, China's imports of unlisted rare earth oxides and mixed rare earth carbonate continued to grow, with a significant YoY increase in cumulative imports [SMM Analysis]

SMM August 21 news: In July 2026, China's imports of unlisted rare earth oxides were 4,591 mt, up 30% MoM from 3,518 mt in June, and up 27% YoY from 3,626 mt in the same period last year. On a cumulative basis, imports of unlisted rare earth oxides in January-July 2026 totaled 37,375 mt, up 15% from 32,519 mt in the same period of 2025.

From a historical data comparison, full-year imports of unlisted rare earth oxides stood at 56,107 mt in 2025 and 48,869 mt in 2024. Since 2026, monthly imports of this product have generally fluctuated upward, with relatively high levels in March, April, and June, and July continued this growth momentum.

Compared with unlisted rare earth oxides, the import growth of mixed rare earth carbonate was more remarkable. In July 2026, China's imports of mixed rare earth carbonate were 1,533 mt, up 189% MoM from 530 mt in June, and up 156% YoY from 599 mt in the same period last year.

On a cumulative basis, imports of mixed rare earth carbonate in January-July 2026 totaled 8,692 mt, up 50% from 5,795 mt in the same period of 2025. It is noteworthy that full-year imports of mixed rare earth carbonate in 2025 were 9,260 mt, while imports in just the first seven months of 2026 have already approached 94% of last year's total, and full-year imports are expected to hit a new high in recent years.