According to customs data, in December 2025, China's rare earth imports were 9,951.6 tons, increasing by 90.61% month-on-month and increasing by 3.18% year-on-year; the import value was RMB 1.43 billion, increasing by 58.89% month-on-month and increasing by 98.61% year-on-year. The rare earth exports were 4,392.1 tons, decreasing by 20.05% month-on-month and increasing by 32.05% year-on-year; the export value was RMB 450 million, increasing by 28.57% month-on-month and increasing by 50.00% year-on-year.
From this, it can be seen that in December 2025, the month-on-month increase in rare earth import volume was larger than the increase in import value, indicating that the average import price increase for rare earth products in December was not very significant; the year-on-year increase in rare earth import volume was significantly smaller than the year-on-year increase in import value, indicating that the average import price of rare earth products in December 2025 was higher than that in December 2024. In December, the rare earth export volume decreased month-on-month, but the export value increased month-on-month, indicating that the average export price of rare earth products in December was higher than that in November; the year-on-year increase in rare earth export volume was significantly smaller than the year-on-year increase in export value, indicating that the average export price of rare earth products in December 2025 was higher than that in December 2024.
The CTIA GROUP LTD official website shows that in December 2025, the prices of most rare earth products in China increased both month-on-month and year-on-year. Among them, the average price of praseodymium oxide was RMB 601,957/ton, increasing by approximately 5.29% month-on-month and increasing by 42.67% year-on-year; the average price of neodymium oxide was RMB 597,652/ton, increasing by approximately 5.11% month-on-month and increasing by 44.08% year-on-year; the average price of praseodymium-neodymium oxide was RMB 587,957/ton, increasing by approximately 6.78% month-on-month and increasing by 44.54% year-on-year; the average price of praseodymium-neodymium metal was RMB 717,739/ton, increasing by approximately 6.32% month-on-month and increasing by 42.91% year-on-year; the average price of terbium oxide was RMB 6,250/kg, decreasing by approximately 5.46% month-on-month and increasing by 10.19% year-on-year; the average price of dysprosium oxide was RMB 1,390,435/ton, decreasing by approximately 9.86% month-on-month and decreasing by 14.96% year-on-year; the average price of dysprosium-iron alloy was RMB 1,343,478/ton, decreasing by approximately 9.92% month-on-month and decreasing by 16.22% year-on-year.
China's imported and exported rare earth products include rare earth metal ores, rare earth oxides not elsewhere specified, mixed rare earth chlorides, other rare earth chlorides, other rare earth fluorides, mixed rare earth carbonates, other rare earth carbonates, rare earth metals not elsewhere specified and their mixtures, compounds, etc. China is the world's largest country in terms of rare earth reserves and production. According to data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), as of the end of 2024, China's rare earth reserves were 44 million tons, accounting for 48.89% of the global total reserves; in 2024, China's rare earth production was 270,000 tons, accounting for 69.23% of the global total production.
