China dominates rare earths market New entrants set to loosen China's grip as governments,industry seek supply security

摘要

China controls the world market for rare earths,and this is set to continue,says Samantha Wietlisbach,director/minerals research and analysis at IHS Markit.Speaking at the IHS Markit World Petrochemical Conference 2020 Online,Wietlisbach said that China is a”major force”in rare earths that sets international prices,making it hard for new players to enter the market.This means major consumers of rare earths,such as automakers and wind-generator firms,as well as governments,could be interested in securing supply from outside China,including via recycling,she said.Rare earth elements are a group of 17 chemical elements that are abundant in the earth's crust.They are divided between heavy rare earth elements,such as dysprosium,terbium,and yttrium,and light rare earth elements,such as lanthanum,cerium,neodymium,praseodymium,and samarium.