Why have rare earth prices fallen?

Caroline Messecar, strategic markets editor for Fastmarkets, explores the world of rare earth prices in her opinion piece for ‘The Crucible’ titled ‘Why have rare earth prices fallen?’

Messecar scrutinizes the nearly 70% collapse in rare earth prices over a span of two years, prompting her to question the underlying factors driving this drastic decline.

Key highlights from the article include:

  • An exploration of why investors are struggling to predict rare earth prices despite their significant impact on industries like automotive and energy
  • Comments from industry figures like Amanda Lacaze, Jim Litinsky, and Rahim Suleman highlight the challenge of forecasting rare earth prices accurately
  • The fact that forecasting remains difficult, leading Messecar to analyze potential price drivers
  • Messecar considers factors such as a pause in EV demand, a global economic downturn, market volatility, and geopolitical tensions
  • Weaker EV demand may have influenced prices, the decline cannot solely be attributed to it due to the widespread use of rare earth magnets in various industries
  • A discussion about the global economic downturn as a potential driver, citing oversupply in the rare earth market and increased production quotas in China
  • Questions about whether the economic downturn alone could account for such a significant price drop
  • Market volatility, including a 300% increase in NdPr oxide prices between March 2020 and March 2022, is also examined, considering factors like COVID-19, inflation and industry consolidation
  • The role of geopolitics, particularly in the US-China trade war, as a factor influencing prices

Read the full article here: Why have rare earth prices fallen? – MMTA

Find out about our full suite of rare earth prices and keep to date with all the rare earth news and insights here.

What to read next
China's tightened export controls on gallium and germanium formalize existing restrictions, heightening supply concerns amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Japan’s government has announced plans to make carbon trading, a system of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions quotas, mandatory for high-emission firms from the 2026 fiscal year, which could have far-reaching consequences for Asian steelmakers, sources told Fastmarkets in the week to Friday November 29.
There are five major challenges facing China’s green ferro-alloys premiums, multiple sources told Fastmarkets at the 40th International Ferro-alloys Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey, on November 10-12.
Get the key takeaways from our recent webinar on the global outlook for the battery raw materials (BRM) market in 2025.
A second Trump administration would reorient US critical minerals policy to prioritize security over climate concerns, former inaugural US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon said during a fireside chat at the Resourcing Tomorrow conference in London on Tuesday December 3.
More than 500 delegates turned out on Thursday December 5 to hear an update on the state of the US green steel industry during Fastmarkets’ inaugural 'going green' webinar.