According to the Chinese newspaper Global Times, there are signs of a potential shortage in the supply of rare earths from Myanmar. The state-affiliated newspaper reports that mining activities in the neighboring country are currently suspended. Myanmar mainly supplies medium rare earths like gadolinium and heavy rare earths, such as terbium, to China, where they are further processed. About 50 percent of the world’s production of heavy rare earths comes from Myanmar. The newspaper provides no details on the reasons for the suspension of mining. The background may be the ongoing conflict between the junta, which seized power in February 2021, and rebel groups. One of these armed groups recently reported that it had gained control of an important rare earth mining center in the north of the country.
Find out more about Myanmar’s significance for the Chinese rare earth industry. This article was produced in collaboration with TRADIUM.
Photo: iStock/Oleksii Liskonih
