In terms of import structure, the imports of rare earth metal ore took up the largest proportion and stood at 11,000 mt in March, a year-on-year increase of 6.15%, all of which came from the United States. The imports of rare earth metal ore were 9,750 mt in February, and the imports in March rose 17.4% MoM.
Domestic copper cathode output in February stood at 835,700 mt, up 2.1% month-on-month (MoM) and 1.7% year-on-year (YoY). Overall, domestic smelters resumed the production steadily in February. After the output of several large smelters in the south returned to normal levels, the overall domestic copper cathode output rose both MoM and YoY.
China’s output of praseodymium-neodymium (PrNd) oxide in February 2022 stood at 6,094 mt, down 2.5% from a year earlier with ion-absorbed iron separation companies in Sichuang, Jiangus, Guangdong and Guangxi contributing most of the increment, while those in Jiangxi saw output cuts.