Six Top Rare Earth-Producing Countries - A Look at Rare Earth Production - Mid 2016

Rare Earth Deposits & Mining / Rare Earth Exploration, Mining, Processing, & Uses

Date posted: 07/15/16

Based on finalized rare-earth production data for 2015, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ... 1. China Mine Production - 105,000 tons China dominates rare earth mineral production to such a degree that its export practices were recently challenged by the US European Union and Japan, resulting in a WTO ruling against the country rare-earth export quotas in 2014. In the past, China has only exported 31,000 tons of its rare earth production. While the country claimed that the limitation was aimed at environmental protection, the WTO ruled that it represented an unfair export restriction that allowed China to control global rare-earth prices. 2. Australia Mine Production - 10,000 tons Australia boosted its rare earth production to a whopping 10,000 tons last year, up from just 8,000 tons in 2014. The country is sitting on the world third-largest known rare-earth reserves. Australian rare-earth mining has only been underway since 2007, according to Geoscience Australia, and the country is poised to increase output going forward. Australia based Lynas Corporation is now the only operating rare earth miner outside of China. It operates the Mt Weld mine and concentration plant in Australia, as well as a rare-earth refining and processing plant in Malaysia. 3. United States Mine Production - 4,100 tons While U.S. rare earth production has increased over the past decade, its output is still dwarfed by China. The Molycorp Mountain Pass mine was the only producing rare earth mine in the country, and that was put on care-and-maintenance last year after the company filed for bankruptcy protection. Overall, the U.S. saw its rare earth production drop from 5,400 tons in 2014 to 4,100 tons in 2015. There are several other rare-earth deposits in the U.S. in varying states of development, but none currently in production. 4. Russia Mine Production - 2,500 tons In 2013, Reuters reported a $1 billion investment into rare-earth production.