According to the South China Morning Post, in the first half of 2025, Brazil’s rare earth exports to China doubled in volume, and China’s rare earth imports surged to a historical high. The report states that Brazil’s rare earth export value to China reached $6.7 million, three times that of the same period in 2024. Although this figure remains relatively small in absolute terms, analysts believe it indicates China’s efforts to diversify its sourcing channels for strategic minerals.
Rare earths are not “soil” but a collective term for 17 metal elements (including the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium), known as the “vitamins” of modern industry and recognized as strategic mineral resources. In terms of applications, the “strategic value” of rare earths lies in their support for high-end industries: in the new energy sector, high-performance neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets (containing rare earths like praseodymium and neodymium) are core materials for electric vehicle drive motors and wind turbine generators, enhancing equipment efficiency and stability; in high-end manufacturing, rare earth elements are used in laser devices for precision instruments and high-temperature alloys for aviation engines, with cerium improving alloy oxidation resistance and dysprosium enhancing the magnetism of permanent magnets at high temperatures; in defense and security, components for radar and missile guidance systems rely on rare earth magnetic materials for miniaturization and high precision, while rare earth fluorescent materials improve the sensitivity of equipment like night vision devices.
Due to their critical role in key sectors such as new energy, high-end manufacturing, and defense, combined with their uneven global distribution and the ongoing tariff policy disputes, rare earths have become a strategic resource contested by nations. As a major country in rare earth reserves and production, China’s protection and rational utilization of rare earths are vital to industrial security and development. In April 2025, China issued a notice implementing export control measures on seven medium and heavy rare earth-related items, including samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. In May 2025, China launched a special operation to combat the smuggling and export of strategic minerals such as tungsten and rare earths. On July 19, 2025, China held a meeting to advance the special operation against the smuggling and export of strategic minerals, proposing a “zero tolerance, heavy-handed” approach to such activities.
According to data from the United States Geological Survey, as of the end of 2024, global rare earth reserves were approximately 90 million tons, decreasing by 18.18% year-on-year. China holds the highest reserves at 44 million tons, accounting for 48.89% of the global total, followed by Brazil with 21 million tons, representing 23.33% of the global total. In 2024, global rare earth production was approximately 390,000 tons, increasing by 3.72% year-on-year. China led with a production of 270,000 tons, accounting for 69.23% of the global total, while Brazil’s production was 20 tons, a relatively small proportion of the global total.
