Western rare earths companies across the value chain are reevaluating corporate strategy amidst prolonged price declines. Over the last 12 months, ex-China companies have mulled options including mergers, sales, and capital restructuring as a two year-long slide in prices for light rare earth ores and oxides makes medium-term growth uncertain. Neodymium-Praseodymium (PrNd) oxide was at […]
> Major rare earth producers Lynas and MP Materials have reported significant losses due to declining prices and increased expenditure, reflecting the growing pressures on Western players in an oversupplied market. “We are definitely at a market killing price at the moment, so it is not unreasonable to expect some price uplift in the second half […]
> The US Department of Defense (DoD) has inked a multibillion-dollar partnership with MP Materials (MP), marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of global rare earth supply chains. As the first—and currently only—company with a fully integrated mine-to-magnet supply chain in North America, MP’s new “10X” facility is pivotal for reducing US strategic dependencies on […]
> NEO Performance Materials (NEO), a Canadian company with 30 years of rare earths industry experience, officially opened its rare earth permanent magnet (REPM) plant in Narva, Estonia, with a high-level ceremony on September 19, with Benchmark in attendance. The Narva plant marks NEO’s second rare earth facility in Estonia, complementing its established Silmet rare earth […]
> Ex-China prices of heavy rare earth oxides (HREO) are significantly higher than those in the domestic Chinese market following China’s export restrictions. What is driving this bifurcation? The European market remains highly constrained for the HREOs currently subject to China’s export restrictions. Spot market activity is sporadic, with buyers only accepting offers when absolutely necessary […]
> In the third quarter of 2025, 18 of the largest 25 copper miners reported quarter-on-quarter decreases in their output, including the top four miners. The total Q3 copper production reported by the top 25 miners hit 3.72Mt. “In the third quarter, many companies saw lower production compared to the previous quarter. However, most did not […]
> Aclara Resources’ Carina project in Goiás, Brazil, is positioning itself as a key future supplier of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) through an environmentally responsible approach to ionic clay extraction. Benchmark’s Rare Earths team recently visited the Carina site and nearby pilot processing plant to evaluate technical progress and supply potential. “The site visit provided […]
> Global mined rare earth supply in 2024 was six times higher than in 1994, according to an analysis by Benchmark’s Rare Earths Forecast and the United States Geological Survey. Back then, China and the US constituted the majority of supply. However, repeated spills of toxic wastewater into the Mojave National Preserve from the Mountain Pass […]
> Falling rare earth prices are putting pressure on mining operations outside of China, as Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths said it would stockpile some material this year. Lynas said sales for the quarter ending in June fell 47% year-on-year to A$157.5 million ($103 million) as weak demand combined with oversupply from China continue to lower rare […]