The First Batch of Rare Earth Mining And Smelting Separation Total Control Indicators In 2023

On March 24, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Natural Resources issued a notice on the first batch of rare earth mining and smelting separation total control indicators for 2023: the first batch of rare earth mining and smelting separation total control indicators for 2023 are 120,000 tons and 115,000 tons respectively. From the indicator data, there is a small increase in light rare earth mining indicators, and a slight downward adjustment in heavy rare earth indicators. As for the increase in rare earth mines, the first batch of rare earth mining targets for 2023 increased by 19.05% year-on-year compared to 2022. The increase is slightly narrower compared to the 20% increase in 2022.

The notice proposes that rare earths are products under the control of the State in terms of total production management, and no unit or individual shall produce without and beyond the target. The rare earth groups should strictly comply with the relevant laws and regulations on resource development, energy conservation, ecological environment, safety production, etc., organize production according to the indicators, and continuously improve the level of technology and technology, clean production level and raw material conversion rate; strictly prohibit the procurement and processing of illegal rare earth minerals, and shall not carry out the processing of rare earth products (including commissioned processing) business; comprehensive utilization enterprises shall not purchase and process rare earth minerals (including enrichment, imported (including enrichment, imported minerals, etc.); the use of overseas rare earth resources shall strictly comply with the relevant import and export management regulations. With the issuance of the new rare earth indicators, let us recall, together with the first batch of rare earth mining, smelting and separation total control indicators in recent years:

The first batch of rare earth mining and smelting separation total control plan for 2019 was issued at 50% of the 2018 annual target, which was 60,000 tonnes and 57,500 tonnes respectively.

The first batch of total control indicators for rare earth mining and smelting separation in 2020 are 66,000 tonnes and 63,500 tonnes respectively.

In 2021, the first batch of rare earth mining and smelting separation total control indicators are 84,000 tonnes and 81,000 tonnes respectively.

In 2022, the first batch of total control targets for rare earth mining and smelting separation will be 100,800 tonnes and 97,200 tonnes respectively.

In 2023, the first batch of rare earth mining and smelting separation total control indicators are 120,000 tons and 115,000 tons respectively.

From the above data, we can see that the rare earth mining indicators have been in a continuous growth trend in the past five years. The rare earth mining target for 2023 is 19,200 tonnes higher than that for 2022, representing a year-on-year increase of 19.05%. This is a slightly narrower increase compared to the 20% year-on-year increase in 2022. It is even far lower than the 27.3% year-on-year increase in 2021.

Looking at the breakdown of the first batch of rare earth mining targets in 2023, the light rare earth mining targets have increased and the medium and heavy rare earth mining targets have shrunk. in 2023, the mining targets for light rare earths are 109,057 tonnes and the mining targets for medium and heavy rare earths are 10,943 tonnes. This compares with a mining target of 89,310 tonnes for light rare earths and 11,490 tonnes for medium and heavy rare earths in 2022.

The mining target for young rare earths in 2023 has increased by 19,747 tonnes or 22.11% compared to 2022. the mining target for medium and heavy rare earths in 2023 has decreased by 547 tonnes or 4.76% compared to 2022. Rare earth mining and smelting targets have increased year on year in recent years. 27.3% year on year increase in 2022 for young rare earth mines and a flat target for medium and heavy rare earth mines. Combined with this year's reduction in the medium and heavy rare earth ore target, China has not increased its medium and heavy rare earth mining target for at least five years. The medium and heavy rare earths target has not been increased for many years and has been reduced this year, on the one hand because of the ionic rare earths mining method, which uses pool leaching and heap leaching, which can pose a greater threat to the ecological environment of the mining area; on the other hand, China's medium and heavy rare earths resources are scarce and the country has not given mining increments for the protection of important strategic resources.