Rare earths were not mined in the U.S. during 2016. Bastnaesite, a rare-earth
fluorocarbonate mineral, was previously mined as a primary product at Mountain Pass, CA, which was put on care-and-maintenance in the fourth quarter of 2015. The estimated value of rare-earth compounds and metals imported by the U.S. in 2016 was $120 million, a decrease from $160 million imported in 2015. The estimated distribution of rare earths by end use was as follows ... catalysts, 55%, metallurgical applications and alloys, 15%, ceramics and glass, 10%, polishing, 10%, and other, 10%.
The suspension of U.S. mining in 2015 resulted in a significant decline in exports of
rare-earth compounds in 2016. U.S. imports of rare-earth compounds and metals increased by 6% compared with those in 2015.
In 2016, excess global supply caused prices for many rare-earth compounds and metals to decline, and China continued to dominate the global supply. In China, the rare-earth mining production quota for 2016 was set at 105,000 tons, unchanged from 2015. China rare-earths industry continued its consolidation into six major industrial entities.
Through September 2016, China had exported 35,200 tons of rare-earth materials, a 50% increase compared with exports for the same period in 2015.
Production of rare-earth oxide equivalent in Malaysia, derived from concentrates mined in Australia, was 6,290 tons through June 2016, a 37% increase compared with the same period in 2015.
Exploration efforts to develop rare-earth projects continued in 2016. Exploration and development assessments in the U.S., included Bear Lodge, WY, Bokan Mountain, AK, Diamond Creek, ID, Elk Creek, NE, La Paz, AZ, Lemhi Pass, ID-MT, Pea Ridge, MO, Round Top, TX, and Thor, NV.
Additional projects were underway in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Greenland, India, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sweden, Tanzania, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Resource Portal for I2M Clients, Associates, and Geoscientists
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-
Managed & Built by I2M Consulting, LLC | © 2010-