Editorial
Source-linked explainers, market research, and supply chain analysis for rare earth and strategic metals.
A plain-English guide to the Chinese rare earth and strategic metal controls that now shape procurement, licensing, and supply-chain risk
The journalist's explainer to China's MOFCOM export controls on rare earths and strategic metals: what is controlled, what is suspended, what licensing means, and how to cite the lanthanides.io tracker.
Read the explainer →
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Long-form briefings, methodology notes, and market surveys.
Why rare earth retail prices are 5x to 100x above bulk benchmarks: small lot processing, reactive metal handling, argon packaging, certification costs, and the economics of collector-scale demand.
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Retail rare earth pricing survey across eBay, Alibaba, and Amazon for 25+ elements. Retail premiums of 15× to 100× over Chinese FOB benchmarks.
LaCeNdPrDyTb+19China's four-layer rare earth regime: production quotas, traceability, export licensing, and customs enforcement. Domestic rules never suspended.
SmGdTbDyLuSc+6Chinese supplier quotes from February 2026 reveal actual export licence timelines: ~3 weeks for thulium, ~4 months for scandium. Purity ceilings and certification delays shape what non-Chinese buyers can actually obtain.
TmScHoErEuYb+6Analysis of MOFCOM Announcements 55-62 (October 2025): the escalation that added Ho, Er, Tm, Eu, Yb to export controls, the November 2025 suspension, and what expiry in November 2026 means for procurement.
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