China issues new rules on rare earth production quotas
2025-08-22 18:03:29 [Print]
On August 22, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the National Development and Reform Commission, and the Ministry of Natural Resources released new provisional measures to strengthen control over rare earth mining, smelting and separation.
Under the new rules, annual production quotas approved by the State Council will be allocated to rare earth producers based on their capacity, technology, and environmental standards. These allocations will also be reported to the relevant provincial-level authorities, which in turn will notify local governments down to the county level. Companies must track product flows and submit monthly reports, while local governments are responsible for oversight. Violations will lead to penalties and reduced quotas in the following year. The measures also replace the rare earth production plan rules introduced in 2012.
Under the new rules, annual production quotas approved by the State Council will be allocated to rare earth producers based on their capacity, technology, and environmental standards. These allocations will also be reported to the relevant provincial-level authorities, which in turn will notify local governments down to the county level. Companies must track product flows and submit monthly reports, while local governments are responsible for oversight. Violations will lead to penalties and reduced quotas in the following year. The measures also replace the rare earth production plan rules introduced in 2012.
