China Rare Earth Group: Inside Beijing's Heavy Rare Earth Powerhouse-and the Myanmar Supply Chain Behind It

Highlights

• China Rare Earth Group received 100% of China's 2024 official heavy rare earth mining quota of 19,150 tonnes REO, cementing its dominant regulatory position.
• Myanmar's Kachin and Shan States supply critical dysprosium and terbium feedstock to CREG-linked processors, with 2023 imports exceeding twice China's domestic HREE quota.
• The Kachin Independence Army's 2024 territorial advances disrupted established mining corridors, exposing CREG's processing network to armed-group leverage and supply uncertainty.
• CREG's competitive advantage lies not in mine ownership alone but in integrated separation, metallization, and trading infrastructure that Western rivals have yet to replicate at scale.
• A reported but disputed 2026 acquisition of Shenghe Resources could further concentrate China's state-directed rare earth sector if completed.