Rare earth prices are in the doldrums and China wants to keep them that way

Rare earths are often used in the manufacture of wind turbines. (Image: Supplied)

Tue, 16 Jul 2024

By Enes MorinaThe US and Europe would love to cut their dependence on China for rare earths. Standing in the way of that ambition are low prices and Beijing’s willingness to throw its weight around to keep the market down.Rare earth prices have plummeted this year and are now hovering at roughly three-year lows. The spot price of neodymium-praseodymium, a silver-grey alloy and the most profitable chunk of the market has fallen almost 20% since the start of January to around US$50,000 (NZ$82,329.50) a metric ton, according to data provider...

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