Rare Earth

  • MP Materials

    MP Materials Halts Rare Earth Shipments to China as Tariff Battle Intensifies

    BY Lara Browne
    MP Materials, operator of the only rare earths mine in the United States, has stopped shipping rare earth elements to China after Beijing imposed new export controls and a 125% tariff on U.S. rare earth imports. The move is part of a broader effort to “reindustrialize” the U.S. minerals supply chain and reduce dependence on...
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  • Geomega Advances Bauxite Residue Processing Technology with Rio Tinto

    BY John Davis
    Geomega Resources has provided an update on its bauxite residue valorization project, developed in collaboration with Rio Tinto. The initiative, which began pilot testing in March 2022, focuses on transforming bauxite residue—an industrial waste byproduct of alumina production—into valuable metal products through a three-stage processing system. The modular technology, divided into Circuits 1, 2, and...
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  • Arkmineral–Resource Advances Afrikanda Rare-Earth Project in Murmansk Region

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Arkmineral–Resource has begun designing a major processing plant for the Afrikanda rare-earth metals deposit in Russia’s Murmansk Region, with construction of the complex—capable of processing about one million tons of ore annually—scheduled to start in 2026–2027. According to General Director Andrey Trenin, key technical solutions for the plant, including the quarry, tailings storage, and infrastructure,...
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  • Brazilian Rare Earths Restructures Amargosa Deal, Confirms High-Grade Gallium Discovery

    BY Lars Jensen
    Brazilian Rare Earths (BRE) has revised its acquisition terms for the Amargosa Bauxite Project in Brazil, reaching a new agreement with Rio de Contas Desenvolvimentos Minerais (Rio Tinto Brazil). The updated terms replace a prior US$40 million milestone payment with a fixed royalty of US$1.00 per wet tonne on future bauxite sales. The Amargosa project,...
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  • Altona Rare Earths Discovers High-Grade Gallium in Mozambique

    BY John Davis
    Altona Rare Earths has announced a significant discovery of high-grade gallium at its Monte Muambe project in Mozambique, with concentrations reaching 232 grams per tonne (g/t). The find, located in the Fluorite Zone and Target 6 areas, includes a continuous intercept of 77 g/t gallium over 100 meters in drill hole MM039, with a high-grade...
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  • GreenMet and Critical Metals Partner to Develop Greenland’s Tanbreez Rare Earth Project

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    U.S.-based GreenMet has entered a strategic partnership with Critical Metals Corp to develop the Tanbreez rare earth project in southern Greenland, aiming to reduce Western reliance on Chinese critical minerals. The project, one of the largest undeveloped rare earth deposits outside China, holds 45 million tonnes of ore containing 0.4% total rare earth oxides (TREO),...
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  • China Tightens Rare Earth Export Controls Amid Trade Dispute with the U.S.

    BY Lars Jensen
    China has imposed new export restrictions on seven rare earth elements, escalating trade tensions with the United States. The announcement, made on April 4, 2025, is part of Beijing’s response to tariffs introduced by former President Donald Trump and could disrupt global supply chains for materials critical to high-tech industries, including electric vehicles and defense...
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  • Trump’s Sweeping Tariffs Spark Concerns Over Rare Earth Supply Chains

    BY Lars Jensen
    The global rare earth metals market faces significant disruption following Donald Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on imports, including critical minerals from China. The tariffs, ranging from 10% to 54%, have raised alarms about supply chain vulnerabilities for rare earth elements, which are essential for industries such as electronics, renewable energy, and defense. China dominates...
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  • Trump Invokes Emergency Powers to Boost Domestic Critical Mineral Production

    BY Lars Jensen
    President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at increasing the domestic production of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, uranium, copper, potash, and gold. The order invokes the Defense Production Act (DPA), a Cold War-era law, to provide financing, streamline permitting, and prioritize mining projects on federal lands. This move is part of...
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  • Russia’s Rare Earth Industry Faces Challenges in Achieving Self-Sufficiency

    BY Lara Browne
    Russia must establish a full production chain for rare earth metals (REM) to achieve technological sovereignty, according to Andrey Trenin, head of the company developing the Afrikand deposit. The country remains heavily reliant on China for its REM supply, despite possessing significant reserves. The topic of REM has gained attention due to the global deglobalization...
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  • Rusal Launches Scandium Production Facility Amid Russia’s Push for Rare-Earth Metals

    BY Sophia Schmitz
    Russian aluminium producer Rusal announced plans to establish a 1.5-tonne-per-year production facility for scandium, a rare-earth metal, with the potential to expand capacity to 19 metric tonnes annually. The facility will be located at the Bogoslovsky Aluminium Plant near the Ural Mountains, with production set to begin this year. The company has invested 500 million...
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  • Putin Proposes Rare Earth and Aluminium Trade Deal with US

    BY Lara Browne
    Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended an offer to the United States for joint exploration of Russia’s rare earth metal deposits and the supply of aluminium to the US market. The proposal outlines a potential economic partnership between the two countries. The announcement follows US President Donald Trump’s statement that “major economic development transactions with...
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  • American Resources Expands Rare Earth Element Processing from Mining Waste

    BY John Davis
    American Resources Corporation, through its subsidiary ReElement Technologies, has announced an expanded initiative at its Kentucky Lithium refinery to produce ultra-pure rare earth oxides and valuable byproducts from coal and other mining waste. The initiative builds upon the company’s existing efforts to refine battery-grade lithium from spodumene-bearing ores. The expansion follows the recent closing of...
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