RARE EARTH INDUSTRY – AUSTRALIA

Chinese rare earths investors blocked

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Original article by Peter Ker
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 15-Jul-26

Northern Minerals’ executive chairman Adam Handley has welcomed the federal government’s latest move aimed at getting shareholders with Chinese links to divest their holdings. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has told the rare earths producer to disregard all votes cast by the three shareholders in question at any of the company’s meetings. It follows a recent warning from Northern Minerals that the three investors had failed to comply with an order to divest their holdings by 2 July. Northern Minerals’ undeveloped Browns Range deposit in Western Australia includes terbium and dysprosium; China accounts for 99 per cent of global supply of these heavy rare earths.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

China-linked rare earths investors flout Chalmers’ sale edict

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Original article by Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 8-Jul-26

Northern Minerals has confirmed that six companies with links to China still hold a combined stake of about 17.6 per cent in the criticial minerals producer. Treasurer Jim Chalmers had directed the six companies to divest their stakes in Northern Minerals by 2 July. He had previously attempted in 2024 to compel China-linked investors to divest their stakes in Northern Minerals, citing national security concerns. Northern Minerals’ Browns Range rare earths project in Western Australia is considered to be of strategic importance in reducing China’s dominance of critical minerals supply.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY

Lynas in magnets deal with Malaysia

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 8-Jul-26

Lynas Rare Earths has signed a partnership agreement with South Korea-based JS Link, which will build a rare earths permanent magnet plant in Malaysia. Lynas will acquire a $50m equity stake in JS Link as part of the deal, and this investment will help support construction of the magnets plant near Lynas’s rare earths processing hub in Malaysia. Lynas will also supply rare earths materials to the new plant, as well as JS Link’s magnet factory in South Korea. Lynas has yet to appoint a permanent successor to former CEO Amanda Lacaze, who stepped down at the end of June after 12 years at the helm.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC, JS LINK INCORPORATED

China attacks Chalmers’ Northern Minerals ownership order

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Original article by Jessica Sier
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 28-May-26

China has used an editorial in the state-backed Global Times to criticise the federal government over its decision to order Chinese-linked investors to divest their stakes in rare earths firm Northern Minerals. The editorial claimed that Australia continues to restrict Chinese investment in areas such as critical minerals and technology, while at the same time expecting China to buy its iron ore, agricultural products and natural gas. The project that Northern Minerals is behind is viewed as essential to Australia’s efforts in helping the Trump administration with its goal of trying to reduce China’s global dominance of rare earths

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU

CHINA – COMMERCE – AUSTRALIA]

Gina Rinehart-backed Lynas Rare Earths posts record quarter

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Original article by Mark Wembridge
The Australian Financial Review – Page: Online : 22-Apr-26

Lynas Rare Earths has advised that its sales revenue was 115 per cent higher year-on-year in the March quarter, at $265m. MD Amanda Lacaze says Lynas’s direct sales to customers helped it to sidestep the "dysfunctional" spot market. Lynas produced 3,233 tonnes of rare earths during the period, which is 69 per cent higher than previously. The average selling price across its rare earths was $84.60 a kilogram, which is 70 per cent higher than the same period in 2025. Lacaze notes that the use of renewable energy at its Mount Weld mine in Western Australia reduced its use of diesel fuel by 870,000 litres during the quarter.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC

WA Premier backs mint’s plan to refine rare earths

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Original article by Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 7 : 14-Apr-26

The Perth Mint currently processes more than 70 per cent of the gold that is mined in Australia, and it was Western Australia’s third-largest exporter in dollar value during 2024-25. John Van Der Wielen, the chairman of the Perth Mint’s state-owned parent company Gold Corporation, contends that the Mint could expand its operations to include the processing of criticial minerals such as rare earths. WA Premier Roger Cook says the state government would broadly support any such move; however, Perennial portfolio manager Sam Berridge says expanding the scope of the Perth Mint’s mineral processing would most likely require significant investment from the state government.

CORPORATES
PERTH MINT, GOLD CORPORATION PTY LTD, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, PERENNIAL VALUE MANAGEMENT LIMITED

China and Australia in new rare earths and iron ore disputes

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Original article by Tim Treadgold
Forbes – Page: Online : 26-Nov-25

Northern Minerals is concerned that Chinese investors may have failed to comply with a federal government directive to divest shares in the rare earths miner. Its Browns Range project contains heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, and Northern Minerals is in talks with the US government-owned Export-Import Bank regarding a $US250m loan to help finance further work at the undeveloped project. In separate but potentially related action – given that China is a common link – media reports have suggested that the China Mineral Resources Group has extended a ban on steel mills purchasing certain types of iron ore from BHP. CMRG initially banned BHP’s Jimbelbar fines earlier this year, but this is said to have been expanded to include Jingbao fines.

CORPORATES
NORTHERN MINERALS LIMITED – ASX NTU, CHINA MINERAL RESOURCES GROUP COMPANY LIMITED, BHP GROUP LIMITED – ASX BHP

Lynas stranded by energy mess

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 19 : 26-Nov-25

Lynas Rare Earths has advised that its production will be about one-third lower in the December quarter due to electricity supply problems at its cracking and leaching plant in Western Australia. The $800m plant is located in Kalgoorlie, which has been affected by intermittent power outages for some time, and Lynas says the outages have become more frequent and longer during November. Lynas is now considering off-grid options for the plant, such as diesel fuel and gas; it is also building a 46-megawatt hybrid power station at its Mount Weld rare earths mine.

CORPORATES
LYNAS RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX LYC

UBS warns against overplaying the volatile rare earths sector

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Original article by Gus McCubbing
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 27 : 5-Nov-25

Shares in Australian rare earths producers have rallied in the wake of the landmark critical minerals deal with the US. AUSIEX notes that the sector has posted strong gains since April, when China imposed export controls on seven rare earth elements. However, UBS equity strategist Richard Schellbach has likened the situation at present to 2010, when China similarly imposed restrictions on rare earths exports to Japan; he notes that the sector initially rallied, followed by a pullback when China removed the export controls. Schellbach also warns that it will take a long time to develop a rare earths industry in Australia; he adds that is unlikely to match the size of the iron ore and LNG industries.

CORPORATES
AUSIEX, UBS HOLDINGS PTY LTD

Miners hail end of China grip

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 13 & 14 : 22-Oct-25

Arafura Rare Earths’ CEO Darryl Cuzzubbo says the $US8.5bn ($13bn) critical minerals deal between Australia and the US is the biggest step toward breaking China’ stranglehold on the sector. The deal includes a framework for US taxpayers to acquire stakes in Australian rare earths and critical minerals assets. Arafura itself will receive up to $US300m from the US Export-Import Bank to advance its Nolans rare earths project in the Northern Territory, while the federal government will invest another $US100m in the project. Meanwhile, Cuzzubbo says Arafura is about three years away from producing neodymium and praseodymium.

CORPORATES
ARAFURA RARE EARTHS LIMITED – ASX ARU, EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES