The Chinese customs authority released the first batch of export data, including rare earth statistics, covering January and February on Friday*. Year-on-year, exports slightly declined nearly 3% to 8,511 tons. In contrast, imports dropped sharply by 24% to 16,922 tons.
China imports these raw materials for further processing, including from neighboring Myanmar. Last year’s unrest in Myanmar disrupted mining operations, which was reflected in China’s trade statistics. The authority will publish more detailed import data for the current period in the second batch of data, which will be released in the coming weeks.
Export of Rare Earths from January and February 2025.
*Trade data for January and February are always reported together to account for the impact of the Chinese New Year on the statistics. During this period, many businesses temporarily halt operations.
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