Highlights
- Shenghe Resources reports a 13.6% increase in operating revenue.
- Divergent performance across rare earth product categories.
- Declining oxide production contrasts with strong rare earth metal sales.
- Suggests potential inventory and strategic repositioning.
- China's rare earth processing dominance continues.
- Global implications for Western buyers and supply chain diversification.
Shenghe Resources Holding Co., Ltd. reported first-half 2025 operating revenue of RMB 6.18 billion (USD 865 million), a 13.6% year-on-year increase, according to its semi-annual filing (Asian Metal, Sept. 2, 2025). The results reveal a mixed performance across the rare earth value chainโunderscoring Chinaโs pivotal role and raising questions for Western buyers navigating supply risk.
Production and Sales Breakdown
- Rare Earth Oxides (REO): Output fell to 10,629 tonnes, down 24.9% YoY; sales slipped 16.2% to 6,576 tonnes.
- Rare Earth Salts: Production collapsed to 3,296 tonnes, a staggering 83.2% YoY drop. Sales, however, surged 51.1% to 4,581 tonnes, suggesting reliance on prior inventory.
- Rare Earth Metals: Bright spotโoutput rose 8.6% YoY to 13,625 tonnes, with sales jumping 30.2% to 9,832 tonnes.
- Rare Earth Concentrates (incl. monazite): Totaled 9,116 tonnes, down 6.5% YoY; sales fell 29.5% to 11,944 tonnes.
Signals in the Noise
The data reveal a paradox: declining oxide and concentrate output, yet strong sales growth in metals. This raises critical questions for investors:
- Is Shenghe leaning on stockpiles to meet export demand?
- Does the sharp decline in oxide output hint at tighter domestic mining quotas or environmental curbs?
- Can metal sales sustain growth without upstream recovery?
Strategic Context
Shenghe is no ordinary Chinese REE company. Its global reachโfrom past offtake ties with MP Materials (set to expire in 2026 under U.S. pressure) to majority ownership of Vietnamโs VTRE separation plantโgives it unique leverage over non-China supply. As Western policymakers push to โde-riskโ rare earths, Shengheโs results remind us that Chinaโs processing power still dominates the field.
What Investors Should Watch
- Inventory Drawdowns: Are soaring salt and metal sales masking structural production issues?
- Policy Shifts: Beijingโs tightening environmental and quota policies may explain oxide declines.
- International Diversification: Will Shengheโs Vietnam and Africa ventures offset falling domestic outputโor tighten Beijingโs grip further?
Bottom Line: Shengheโs H1 earnings look healthy on paper, but the mix of falling oxide production and booming metal sales signals a reshuffle worth investor scrutiny. For Western buyers and policymakers, the companyโs role as Chinaโs outward-facing REE arm keeps it at the heart of global supply chain debates.
Source: Asian Metal, โShenghe Resources H1 rare earth metal sales jump over 30% YoY,โ Sept. 2, 2025.
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