Rare earth market update on May 26, 2026
The domestic rare earth market generally maintained weak and stable operation, with mainstream product prices adjusting within a reasonable range, while trading sentiment remained subdued and wait-and-see sentiment was strong. Today, prices of praseodymium neodymium oxide, praseodymium neodymium metal, erbium oxide, and dysprosium oxide were about RMB 690,000/ton, RMB 850,000/ton, RMB 440,000/ton, and RMB 1,270,000/ton, respectively. This was mainly due to weak downstream purchasing willingness, with most buyers mainly conducting small-volume replenishment based on rigid demand, while price suppression behavior was common. Against this backdrop, holders showed differentiated shipment sentiment: some enterprises, supported by costs and expectations of tightening future supply, showed strong reluctance to sell and intentions to hold prices firm; meanwhile, some traders, affected by capital and inventory reduction pressure, chose to offer concessions to promote sales.
In terms of news, data from the Baotou Bureau of Industry and Information Technology showed that from January to April 2026, the added value of industrial enterprises above designated size in Baotou increased by 7.5% year-on-year, 0.1 percentage point faster than in the first quarter. From the industry perspective, the added value of the chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing industry represented by rare earths increased by 1.1 times, driving the growth of industrial enterprises above designated size by 6.1 percentage points. Nonferrous metal output maintained good growth momentum, among which the output of single rare earth metals and aluminum products increased by 58.2% and 60.0%, respectively. Rare earths, aluminum, and equipment manufacturing provided multi-point support. The added value of the rare earth, aluminum, and equipment manufacturing industries increased by 46.6%, 10.7%, and 41.4%, respectively, up by 34.3, 5.7, and 18.4 percentage points compared with the same period last year, jointly driving the growth of industrial enterprises above designated size by 10 percentage points.
Price of rare earth products on May 26, 2026
Images of erbium oxide
