There was an increase in exports of rare earths in June. It is still unclear what is behind the increase.
China recorded significantly more Rare earths exported than in May. According to customs authorities, exports increased by 32 per cent to 7,742 tonnes. An increase was already recorded in May, although this was mainly due to light rare earths, including neodymium. For heavy rare earths such as terbium and dysprosium Export restrictions since April and a licence system. As a result no more corresponding material was exported in May.t. Detailed foreign trade data, which will be published in the coming weeks, will show whether exports of heavy rare earths recovered in June.
The People's Republic remains by far the most important supplier of heavy rare earths, alternative sources of supply are limited and dependency is correspondingly high. For companies that rely on a stable supply of raw materials, the licence system poses an additional risk. Security of supply is no longer a given. Countermeasures such as the Stockpiling with critical raw materials are becoming increasingly important against this backdrop.
