China Northern Rare Earth Expands Dy-Tb Separation and Full-Spectrum Rare Earth Processing

Highlights

• Northern Rare Earth and Golden Dragon Rare Earth's joint venture Northern Jinlong will separate 5,000 metric tons of REO per year, replacing existing capacity rather than adding net new supply.
• The expansion covers the full rare earth spectrum—from lanthanum and cerium to dysprosium, terbium, holmium, yttrium, and lutetium—targeting high-purity 5N oxides and metals.
• China is integrating virgin feedstock with recycled magnets and manufacturing scrap to recover Nd, Pr, Dy, and Tb without developing new mines.
• Western policymakers are urged to benchmark beyond ore tonnage and focus on which elements can be separated, at what purity, cost, and scale.
• Obscure heavy rare earths like holmium, erbium, and lutetium underpin industries representing an estimated $10 trillion in economic exposure despite tiny traded volumes.