Rare earth market update on January 20, 2026
The domestic rare earth prices overall showed a mixed trend of rises and falls, with relatively flat market transactions. In the light rare earth market, affected by the relatively large price increase in praseodymium-neodymium in the previous one or two weeks, slow follow-up of downstream demand, and weakening bullish support, praseodymium-neodymium suppliers rationally lowered quotations; under this market condition, neodymium-iron-boron blank prices also correspondingly declined.
In the medium and heavy rare earth market, product prices were locally stable, with some slight increases, among which terbium oxide prices increased by approximately RMB 20,000/ton, mainly due to relatively strong production cost support, downstream users basically maintaining rigid demand, and demand pull from the rapid development of emerging industries.
On the news front, customs data show that in 2025, China's cumulative rare earth imports totaled 101,062.0 tonnes, decreased by 24.0% year-on-year, with cumulative import value of RMB 12.88 billion, increased by 16.3% year-on-year; cumulative rare earth exports totaled 62,585.2 tonnes, increased by 12.9% year-on-year, with cumulative export value of RMB 3.66 billion, increased by 5.1% year-on-year. Among them, in December, China's rare earth imports totaled 9,951.6 tonnes, increased by 90.61% month-on-month and increased by 3.18% year-on-year; import value was RMB 1.43 billion, increased by 58.89% month-on-month and increased by 98.61% year-on-year. Rare earth exports totaled 4,392.1 tonnes, decreased by 20.05% month-on-month and increased by 32.05% year-on-year; export value was RMB 450 million, increased by 28.57% month-on-month and increased by 50.00% year-on-year.
Price of rare earth products on January 20, 2026
Images of neodymium oxide
