The rare earth market now is assessed 7 billion dollars and by 2035 could grow to 12.6 billion. Do you want to understand who really controls rare earths today – and why the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines and even geophysical equipment depends on it?
Based on Research Nester analytics, data from Nasdaq and Forbes, we analyze which companies are among the top producers of rare earth metals and why they became leaders.
What is this market and why is it special?
Rare earth metals (REM) are a group of 17 elements without which they do not work smartphones, MRI scanners, electric motors. Geologically, they are not rare: for example, cerium and lanthanum are found in the earth’s crust more often than copper or lead. The problem is different – REMs do not form rich ore bodies. Their concentrations are low, and the elements themselves are “spread” throughout the rock, so companies mining rare earths introduce complex and expensive technologies.
The key feature of the rare earth metals market is its dependence not on reserves, but on processing. In 2023 approx. 70% world rare earth metal mining accounted for China, another 12% – in the USA. At the stage of chemical separation, the imbalance becomes much more severe: more 85–90% capacities for purification and isolation of individual elements are concentrated in China. It is there that the ore is transformed into neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium – the basis of magnets, electronics and defense systems.
This stage is the most difficult and “dirty” in the chain. The separation of rare earths includes dozens of stages of acid leaching and extraction, which is accompanied by the formation of toxic waste and radioactive impurities.
In the 1990s–2000s, rare earth metals mining companies in the United States and Europe closed such productions for two reasons:
- tightening environmental standards have made recycling economically unprofitable;
- Chinese companies were able to offer cheaper products due to volumes and government support.
As a result, the rare earth market has become one of the most concentrated commodity markets in the world: mining is distributed, processing is not. It is this imbalance that explains why today the leaders are companies that mine rare earths and have built a full technological cycle.
Read materials from our selection:
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Which rare earth metals mining companies have become market leaders?
Among the market leaders are companies that control all processes: extraction, enrichment, separation, product production. Below are the seven most notable players in the rare earth metals market.
| Company | Country | Assets | Market capitalization | Specialization | Key Facts |
| MP Materials | USA | Mountain Pass, California | US$12 billion | high-purity separated neodymium and praseodymium oxide (NdPr), concentrate of heavy rare earth metals, oxides and carbonates of lanthanum and cerium | will supply magnets for Apple devices from 2027 |
| Lynas Rare Earths | Australia,Malaysia | Mount Weld, Western Australia | AUD 13 billion | production of dysprosium oxide, mixed rare-earth metal carbonates, terbium oxide | leader outside China, collaborated with the US Department of Defense |
| Energy Fuels | USA, Canada | White Mesa processing plant in Utah, Nichols Ranch and Alta Mesa projects in Wyoming and Texas | US$2 billion | production of separated neodymium and praseodymium oxide, uranium enrichment, production of dysprosium oxide | supply of rare earth metals for the production of electric cars and hybrids in the USA, EU, Japan and South Korea |
| Iluka Resources | Australia | Jacinth-Ambrosia (zircon mining), Eneabba in Western Australia and Wimmera in Victoria | AUD 2.7 billion | extraction and enrichment of fine-grained heavy mineral sands, zircon, light and heavy separated rare-earth metal oxides | fully integrated Australian processing, supported by the Australian government |
| Arafura Resources | Australia | Nolans Project, Northern Australia | AUD 470 million | neodymium and praseodymium, other rare earth metals in small quantities | cooperates with Hyundai Motor, Siemens, Traxys Europe |
| China Minmetals | China | Several mines and processing | US$26 billion | neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium (light and heavy rare earth metals), europium, holmium, yttrium, lutetium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium | strengthens China’s monopoly on rare earth processing (state corporation) |
| USA Rare Earth | USA | projects in Texas and Oklahoma | US$2.6 billion | praseodymium, neodymium, dysprosium | creating an independent supply chain in the USA |
If you look at these companies as a system, you can see how the balance of power is distributed. Chinese corporations, primarily China Minmetals, control the most difficult stage – the chemical separation of ore into individual elements. It is there that it is decided which metals and in what volumes will enter the world market.
US and Australian rare earth mining companies MP Materials, Lynas, Energy Fuels, Iluka, Arafura and USA Rare Earth play a different role. They own the largest deposits outside of China and are trying to build their own processing chains so as not to send the concentrate to China for separation.
Why we single out these particular leaders and where the place of Russian companies is—we will examine further.
How real and recoverable are the reserves of the Tomtorskoye field in Yakutia? read the article
How rare earth mining companies got to the top
Our top 7 includes rare earth metals mining companies that were able to identify three keys to the global market.
The first is chemical separation. It requires dozens of processing steps, expensive equipment and strict waste control. Only a few can master such technologies.
The second is scale. The greater the volume of processing, the lower the cost of individual oxides and concentrates. This is especially important for neodymium, praseodymium and heavy rare earths, which are used in magnets.
The third is state support. In the USA, REM projects are developed with the participation of defense departments, in Australia – through government programs, in China – through the consolidation of enterprises, control of processing facilities and strategic management of REM exports by the government.
It is the combination of technology, scale and government support that makes these rare earth mining companies market leaders.
Trends and forecasts of the rare earth metal market
According to analysts’ calculations, the average annual growth rate of the rare earth metals market will amount to about 10–12% until 2030. Refining volumes will increase as new capacities outside China, Europe and North America enter the market. Investors and governments are creating local supply chains so as not to depend on China. Thus, American Energy Fuels buys ASM Strategic Materials to build an integrated chain, and in Australia and Europe they are actively investing in the processing and deep separation of rare earths.
What concerns Russia, its position in the history of rare earths is a separate story. According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, 28,5 million tons of rare earths – fifth place in the world after China, Brazil, India, and Australia. Of the total volume only 3,8 million tons are in development or ready for it.
The main producer of rare earth metals in Russia is the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant (Rosatom) at Lovoozersk fields in the Murmansk region. If you are looking for information about which companies in Russia mine rare earth metals, we also note Partomchorrskoye, Zashikhinskoye and other mines that are preparing to launch.
Read also – Rosneft has begun development of the Tomtorskoye rare earth metals deposit
Potentially Russian companies may become strategic players and go beyond the share in 1% in the rare earth metal market. But for this it is necessary to develop processing and create production chains similar to those being built in America, Australia and China.
Do you think companies from Russia will be able to oust the leaders of the rare earth metals market? Tell us about your observations in the comments.
Cover photo: MP Materials
