Ministry of Natural Resources: China Continues to Maintain Stable Supply of Rare Earth

According to the Notice of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Industry and Information Technology jointly issued in 2018 on the 2018 annual rare earth ore tungsten mining total control index (the first batch): the first batch of rare earth minerals in the country in 2018 (rare earth oxide REO) The total mining control index is released according to 70% of the 2017 annual indicator. The first batch of rare earth ore mining total control index was 73,500 tons, of which the ionic type (mainly medium and heavy rare earth) rare earth mineral index was 12,530 tons, and the rock type (light) rare earth mineral index was 60,970 tons. It is reported that the first batch of rare earth mining total control indicators planned by the state in 2017 is 52,500 tons. Compared with last year, the first batch of rare earth mining this year increased by 40%.

According to the notice of the 2018 annual rare earth ore tungsten mining total control index issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the total mining index of rare earth ore (REO) in 2018 is 120,000 tons, of which ionic type The index of rare earth minerals (mainly medium and heavy rare earths) is 19,150 tons, and the index of rock type (light) rare earth minerals is 100,850 tons. The above indicators all contain the first batch of indicators issued in the “Notice on the Control Indicators for the Total Amount of Tungsten Ore Mining in the 2018 Year (First Batch)”. In 2018, the total amount of rare earth smelting and separation control plan is 115,000 tons.

According to the Notice of the Ministry of Land and Resources issued in 2017 on the release of the total amount of rare earth ore tungsten mining in the 2017, the national total rare earth mining total control index for 2017 is determined to be 105,000 tons, of which ionic (medium and heavy rare earth) The main rare earth mineral index is 17,900 tons, and the rock-mine type (light) rare earth mineral index is 87,100 tons. It includes the first batch of indicators that have been released in the first quarter. In 2017, the total amount of rare earth smelting and separation control plan is 100,000 tons.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued the first batch of rare earth production total control plan in 2017, in which the mineral products are planned to be 52,500 tons, and the smelting and separating products are planned to be 50075 tons.

Comparing the data for two years, China can increase the rare earth mining plan in 2018 from 105,000 tons in 2017 to 120,000 tons, an increase of 15,000 tons. In addition, the 2018 rare earth smelting separation plan has also increased from 100,000 tons in 2017 to 115,000 tons, an increase of 15,000 tons. In other words, the amount of rare earth mining and smelting separation plans has increased by about 15% compared to last year. That illustrates a problem: China does not have a reduction in the amount of rare earths planned. Since this year's production control indicators have increased compared to last year, there is no five-year minimum. On the contrary, China has increased its rare earth mining and smelting separation plan to further meet market demand.

From the time when the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the indicators in 2017 and 2018, due to the late release of the rare earth mining and smelting separation total control plan in the first half of this year, in order to facilitate the rare earth enterprises to arrange annual production, the first half of the plan is in accordance with the whole 60% of the annual plan is issued, that is, 7.35 million tons will be issued, and the remaining 45,000 tons will be released in the second half of the year. In the second half of last year, the planned amount is usually 50% of the annual plan, so it seems that the plan for the second half of this year is lower than in previous years.

As we all know, the rare earth products produced in China have made important contributions to the global supply of raw materials for a long time. Since 1998, China's rare earth production has been more than 80% of the global total, and reached 97% of global production in 2011, the highest in history. China is deepening reforms in an all-round way and continuously expanding its foreign development efforts. It will actively work with the international community to build a fair and rational rare earth market order and safeguard the rights and interests of legitimate enterprises.

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