Lodestar Minerals disclosed that mineralogical studies at its Virgin Mountain project in Arizona, US, confirmed the presence of high-grade heavy rare earths with xenotime as the principal mineral, including high proportions of dysprosium, terbium, and lutetium—three high-value elements that are in critically short domestic supply in the US and are vital to national defense systems. China currently accounts for most of the global production of the above heavy rare earths and has imposed export restrictions. Lodestar said the findings highlight the project's strategic value and will help the company secure funding and establish partnerships.

Appia Rare Earths & Uranium Corp. announced that assay results from the first 13 drill holes at its ionic adsorption clay/carbonatite rare earth project in Goiás State, Brazil, showed broad high-grade mineralization, with hole UNA-DDH-015 intersecting 300 meters grading 2.55 TREO from surface, including a high-grade interval of 97 meters grading 4.52 and 6 meters grading 13.30. The company’s flagship Alces Lake project in Saskatchewan, Canada, hosts near-surface high-grade monazite mineralization with grades of up to 50 TREO, close to the Saskatchewan Research Council’s processing facility.

Baogang Group Mine Research Institute announced that “Xianhua Lan-niobate,” discovered under the institute’s leadership, had been officially approved as a new mineral by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, with the international number IMA2025-087. This is the 29th new mineral discovered in the Bayan Obo deposit, the world’s largest rare earth deposit.This mineral is a rare rare earth–niobate mineral occurring in the East Mine and the eastern contact zone of the Bayan Obo deposit. Its discovery is of significant scientific value for studying the multi-stage, multi-episode hydrothermal superimposed mineralization process of the Bayan Obo deposit, as well as the mechanisms of global rare earth–niobium enrichment.

From January to February, the value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size in Baotou increased by 5.3% YoY. Among the three major categories, two rose and one declined. The value added of the mining industry increased by 20.2% YoY, manufacturing rose by 4.5%, and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water fell by 1.4%. Nearly 60% of industries recorded positive growth. Among 34 major industry categories, 19 maintained growth in value added, representing a growth breadth of 56%. Among them, the value added of the raw chemical materials and chemical products manufacturing industry increased by 97.4%, boosting the growth of value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size by 6.1 percentage points.

Recently, the Department of Science and Technology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the Department of Industry and Information Technology of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region announced the first batch of 15 entities selected for the 2025 Autonomous Region Concept Validation Platforms, Pilot-Scale Bases for the Commercialization of Scientific and Technological Achievements, and Public Pilot-Scale Service Platforms. Baotou Research Institute of Rare Earths was approved as an Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Concept Validation Platform.

On March 20, China Rare Earth Resources and Technology Co., Ltd. (600259.SH) issued an announcement stating that the company recorded operating revenue of 5.82 billion yuan in 2025, down 53.80% YoY; net profit attributable to shareholders of the publicly listed firm was 127 million yuan, turning from loss to profit YoY, compared with a net loss of 299 million yuan in the same period of the previous year; net profit attributable to the parent after deducting non-recurring gains and losses was 159 million yuan, improving significantly YoY.

China Northern Rare Earth Held an Analysis Meeting on Operating Activities for February 2026. Liu Peixun, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of Baogang (Group) Company, and Party Secretary and Chairman of China Northern Rare Earth; Qu Yedong, Deputy Party Secretary and General Manager of China Northern Rare Earth; as well as members of the leadership team of China Northern Rare Earth and heads of various departments, subsidiaries, and branches attended the meeting.

The Meeting of the Leading Group for the Construction of Baotou Municipal Party Committee’s “Two Rare Earth Bases” Was Held. Chen Zhichang, Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee, presided over the meeting. Meng Qingwei, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Mayor, and Zhou Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Commission, attended. The meeting heard a report on the work in 2025 and the work arrangements for 2026, and reviewed documents including the R&D directions in key fields for the 15th Five-Year Plan.

China Northern Rare Earth (600111) consecutively issued two investment announcements, simultaneously advancing two major projects—10kt of rare earth metal alloys and 10kt of cerium-containing NdFeB magnetic materials—through a model featuring one controlling stake, one equity participation, and upstream-downstream coordination, so as to accelerate the development of the “two rare earth bases” and the upgrading of the entire industry chain. Both of the above investment proposals were unanimously approved by the company’s board of directors, and China Northern Rare Earth’s total investment in the two projects amounted to approximately 228 million yuan.

On March 12, Liu Leiyun, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Rare Earth Group, held a working meeting at the headquarters with Yuan Xu, Party Secretary and Executive Director of China National Nuclear Uranium Co., Ltd., and his delegation.