Highlights
- China releases new national standard GB/T 31967.3-2025 for measuring electrical resistivity of rare earth permanent magnet materials.
- The standard establishes a unified methodology for testing.
- The new standard will take effect on January 1, 2026.
- It addresses previous inconsistencies in magnet production.
- This strategic move positions China as a rule-maker in the rare earth magnet industry.
- The standard has the potential to influence global market standards and quality benchmarks.
In a move with far-reaching implications for global supply chains, China has officially released a new national standard for measuring the electrical resistivity of rare earth permanent magnet materials—an essential property tied to performance and efficiency in high-tech applications like EVs, wind turbines, robotics, and industrial motors. The new standard, GB/T 31967.3-2025, will take effect on January 1, 2026.
Jointly led by the Chinese Academy of Rare Earths (Rare Earth Institute) and the National Institute of Metrology, the standard was developed under the guidance of the National Rare Earth Standardization Technical Committee and China’s National Standardization Administration. It establishes a unified methodology for measuring the resistivity of rare-earth permanent magnet materials, covering testing principles, equipment requirements, environmental conditions, and procedural steps. The world’s largest rare earth state-backed conglomerate by market share, Northern Rare Earth China, reported on the milestone today.
Relevance for West
Until now, China has lacked a consistent national protocol for resistivity testing in rare earth magnets—a gap that often leads to discrepancies in product specifications and performance claims between companies. This lack of comparability has hampered both quality assurance and export reliability. The new national standard aligns China’s rare earth magnet production with international benchmarking norms, paving the way for greater trust in Chinese-made magnetic components across global markets.
More significantly, it positions China not just as a producer of rare earths, but as a rule-maker. Standard-setting is a subtle but powerful form of industrial leadership. By codifying how core properties like resistivity should be measured and reported, China is creating a quality baseline that global buyers—especially in sectors like EVs and renewable energy—may be forced to adopt or align with, further embedding China’s dominance across the value chain.
The Rare Earth Institute, a long-standing standardization powerhouse, has contributed to over 100 rare earth-related technical standards, including three international standards. This latest achievement reinforces its role in shaping the next phase of the rare earth magnet industry: high-end, codified, and globally competitive.
Source: China Northern Rare Earth (opens in a new tab) via National Standards Administration of China
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