[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Surge and Pull Back, News-Driven Volatility Cools Trading] Recently, supported by reports of production cuts at scrap recycling enterprises alongside recovering downstream demand, most suppliers sharply raised their quotations and market confidence strengthened notably. On Thursday, however, renewed bearish speculation rattled the market, triggering a sharp drop in futures prices. Spot market prices for Pr-Nd oxide followed suit and pulled back. As of today, Pr-Nd oxide prices have undergone volatile adjustments to 743,000-747,000 yuan/mt.

SMM June 24 News: Driven by the demand for coordinated development of quality inspection and market services in the non-ferrous industry chain, on June 23, a delegation led by Zhou Bo, Vice President of SMM Information & Technology Co., Ltd. (SMM), Long Huachen, General Manager of the South China Office, and Lin Jiazhi, Business Manager of the Copper Division, visited the CCIC Southwest Region Fangchenggang Area Company for exchanges. They were warmly received by Huang Lu, General Manager of the CCIC Southwest Region Fangchenggang Area Company, Liang Cuirong, Marketing Manager of the CCIC Southwest Region Fangchenggang Area Company, Ye Lingling, Deputy Director of the Mineral Products Laboratory of the Technical Center, and Huang Zhisheng, Deputy Director of the Environmental Laboratory of the Technical Center. During the cordial discussions, leveraging SMM's global non-ferrous industry big data, authoritative spot benchmark pricing, futures and spot industry services, and entire industry chain resource advantages, the two parties conducted in-depth discussions on core topics such as non-ferrous mineral inspection, commodity quality inspection, futures delivery inspection, and upstream and downstream industry chain collaborative services. They fully exchanged views on mineral product inspection standards, quality inspection support for cross-border commodity trade, futures delivery compliance inspection, and the integration of industry data and inspection services. This visit opened up channels for cooperation between industry information, trade circulation, and third-party quality inspection, laying a solid foundation for the two sides to continuously deepen industry mutual trust, complement each other's resources, and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Introduction to CCIC Southwest Regional Company China Inspection and Certification Group (abbreviated as China Certification & Inspection Group, with English abbreviation CCIC) is a central state-owned enterprise established with the approval of the State Council and managed by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council. It is a comprehensive quality service organization with "inspection, testing, certification, standards, and metrology" as its main businesses. Founded in 1980, it owns three major brands: CCIC, CQC, and CAERI. CCIC Southwest Regional Company (hereinafter referred to as "Southwest Regional Company") is one of the eight regional companies directly managed by CCIC in China. It comprises five provincial-level companies, namely Guangxi Company, Yunnan Company, Sichuan Company, Chongqing Company, and Guizhou Company, as well as four area companies, including Fangchenggang, Qinbei, Border, and ASEAN. It has established six functional departments, five business divisions, and one business support department. Southwest Regional Company's service network covers the major ports and cargo distribution centers in the five provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of Guangxi, Yunnan, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou, as well as in the four countries of Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Its business scope encompasses the three major industries of agriculture, industry, and services, touching upon all sectors of the national economy and all aspects of people's livelihood. In fields such as commodity trade, enterprise management improvement, agricultural and food safety, ecological environment monitoring, environmental protection technical consulting and assessment, pest control, instrument and equipment metrological calibration, lightning protection detection, traceability, e-commerce platform construction, safety assessment, and occupational health detection and assessment, it provides "one-stop" comprehensive quality services. It is one of the largest and most powerful third-party inspection, testing, and certification organizations in south-west China. The Southwest Regional Company has an independent and comprehensive laboratory system, comprising 14 specialized technical laboratories in China and 3 overseas laboratories, with a total area of approximately 22,000 m², equipped with around 2,300 sets of precision instruments and equipment. It has accumulatively obtained over 18,700 nationally and locally recognized and accredited items, including CMA and CNAS. Its detection capabilities cover multiple fields such as minerals and alloys, fertilizers, coal and coke, petrochemicals, chemical products, food and agricultural by-products, water and wastewater, air and exhaust gas, soil, solid waste, seawater, marine sediment, marine organisms, biological residues, noise, vibration, metrology, lightning protection, electronics and electricals, and software testing. Internationally, it is a designated metal analysis and detection laboratory for the London Metal Exchange (LME) in the UK, a petrochemical product detection laboratory recognized by the Mexican Ministry of Energy, and the first laboratory in China to pass a second-party audit by BP and be designated by the company. Domestically, it is a designated sugar quality inspection agency for the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange; the designated detection laboratory for the coal futures delivery warehouse in Fangchenggang of the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange; a designated quality inspection agency for silicon metal of the GFEX; a designated arbitration and detection laboratory for minerals and alloys appointed by multiple industry leaders in and outside China; and the Central Laboratory for Mineral Products of China Inspection & Testing Group (CCIC). As the only laboratory within CCIC qualified for identifying the solid waste properties of imported and exported metal mineral products and detecting rare earth ores and compounds, the company holds a significant technical advantage in related fields. (Some qualification certificates of the Southwest Regional Company) To date, the Southwest Regional Company has undertaken or participated in over 40 science and technology projects at the national, provincial, and municipal levels; led or participated in the formulation and revision of over 260 international, national, industry, and group standards; holds 3 invention patents, nearly 30 utility model patents, and 41 software copyrights; has received 13 science and technology awards at the provincial and ministerial level or above; has cooperated with universities, research institutes, and enterprises to build 7 key platforms in fields such as petrochemicals, food and agricultural by-products, and minerals and alloys; and its subordinate units have been recognized as a new-type R&D institution, an enterprise with an IP advantage cultivation program, a strategic emerging industry enterprise, and have received many other designations including key laboratory and engineering technology research center. The Southwest Regional Company earnestly fulfills the responsibilities of a central state-owned enterprise and has successively received over 40 honorary titles, including 'National Civilized Unit', 'AAA-Level Credit Enterprise in China Enterprise Credit Evaluation', National High-Tech Enterprise, and Service Industry Leader Enterprise of Nanning City. (Part of the honors of Guangxi Company) Looking ahead, the Southwest Regional Company will continue to base itself in the southwest, serve the whole country, radiate out to ASEAN, and face the world. It is expected to play a greater role in the new journey of high-quality development, striving to contribute to CCIC's effort of building itself into a 'world-class inspection, testing, and certification group with the highest credibility'. In 2026, against the backdrop of the ongoing global green transition and the continued advancement of the “dual-carbon” goals, the nonferrous metals industry is accelerating its shift toward low-carbon, intelligent, and high-end development. As a major nonferrous metals industry cluster in China, South China features a well-developed downstream processing system, abundant reserves of recycled resources, and strong policy support. Leveraging South China’s unique industrial foundation and the new landscape of industry development, to ensure the precise implementation of industry development-related policies, address key pain points in industry development, and build a bridge for resource connectivity across the entire industry chain, the hosted by SMM will be grandly held in September 9–11, 2026 in Nanning, Guangxi . Focusing on key topics such as metal price trends, the medium and long-term market landscape, cross-border trade dynamics, interpretation of industrial policies, and innovation in low-carbon green processes, the conference will conduct in-depth discussions, aiming to build an efficient and authoritative platform for industry exchange and cooperation, empower enterprises in technological innovation and green transformation, help industry participants seize market opportunities and calmly respond to development challenges, and jointly promote the high-quality advancement of China’s nonferrous metals industry. We sincerely invite colleagues from all sectors across the nonferrous entire industry chain to gather in Nanning to discuss new opportunities for industry development and jointly chart a long-term path for coordinated development of the industry chain! SMM Contact : Lin Jiazhi: 15017566696

[SMM Analysis: Impact on Solid-state Batteries of the Ministry of Commerce Adding 10 US Entities to the Export Control List] On June 22, 2026, the Ministry of Commerce issued an announcement and, effective immediately, formally implemented the "Export Control List (June 22, 2026)," which includes 10 US entities. This export control measure has almost no direct impact on China's solid-state battery industry, but attention should be paid to the indirect link of the rare earth supply chain. (1) China already has export controls on high-end batteries with an energy density exceeding 300 Wh/kg (including semi-solid and all-solid-state), and this measure targeting specific entities is an extension of the existing control framework rather than a new restriction specifically aimed at the solid-state battery industry. (2) The solid-state battery industry is still in the development stage and has not yet generated a significant export demand.

Recently, the General Administration of Customs released import and export data for the period from January to May 2026. The latest data shows that China's imports of thorium ore and concentrates from January to May 2026 amounted to 25,400 mt, edging up 6% YoY, with May imports at 3,957 mt, edging down 3% MoM but up 56% YoY. From January to May 2026, China's imports of unlisted rare earth oxides were approximately 29,266 mt, up 33% YoY; of this, May imports of unlisted rare earth oxides stood at around 3,143 mt, down 30% MoM, while also seeing a sharp 65% drop YoY. Looking at the specific data, imports of thorium ore and concentrates were relatively stable, but imports of medium-heavy rare earth ore from Southeast Asia saw a notable decline. According to SMM survey, the decrease in unlisted rare earth oxides imports was mainly due to a sharp drop in imports from Myanmar, from 3,040 mt to 1,159 mt. This was primarily caused by seasonal factors and Myanmar's increase in rare earth ore taxes, which led to a significant fall in the operating rate of rare earth mines in the Bawa area. Some mine owners even dismissed miners as mining costs surged significantly while rare earth ore selling prices remained sluggish. Some miners forecast that Myanmar ore imports in June may be similar to May, while from July to August, as the local area enters its deep rainy season, increased rainfall will affect normal operations at mines, and rare earth ore production could continue to decline during this period.

On June 22, China’s MOFCOM imposed export controls on 10 US entities, including rare earth giants MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, retaliating against the US expansion of its "Chinese Military Companies List" on June 8. While largely symbolic for China's magnet exports, the move targets the Achilles' heel of US supply chain autonomy, threatening higher costs and delays for American defense and rare earth projects.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Overall Raised, Limited Pre-Holiday Transaction Follow-Through] Recently, affected by news of production cuts at scrap recycling enterprises, some industry participants expected Pr-Nd oxide supply to tighten. Suppliers raised their quotes, and low-priced supplies rapidly tightened. As of today, the Pr-Nd oxide price was raised to 717,000-720,000 yuan/mt.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Show Mixed Performance, with Lackluster Actual Transactions] Due to the impact of news factors, some industry insiders expect that the supply of Pr-Nd oxide will increase significantly in H2. As a result, downstream metal plants showed low purchase willingness, causing quotes for Pr-Nd oxide to edge down. As of today, the price of Pr-Nd oxide fluctuated and pulled back to 690,000-693,000 yuan/mt.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Market Shows Mixed Performance, Tug-of-War Between Upstream and Downstream Continues] Influenced by short covering by bears, futures prices rose, slightly boosting downstream willingness to restock. Procurement volumes for Pr-Nd oxide edged up compared to the previous period, and supplier quotes also rebounded slightly. As of today, Pr-Nd oxide prices fluctuated upward to 697,000-700,000 yuan/mt.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Fluctuated, Upstream and Downstream Remained in Stalemate] Affected by futures price fluctuations combined with periodic restocking by some major producers, Pr-Nd oxide prices fluctuated relatively frequently. Upstream and downstream continued to remain in a stalemate, with suppliers maintaining relatively firm offers overall, while downstream metal producers maintained a strong wait-and-see sentiment. As of today, Pr-Nd oxide prices fluctuated downward to 682,000-688,000 yuan/mt.

[SMM Rare Earth Weekly Review: Rare Earth Prices Continued to Decline, Stopping Falling Near Weekend] The Pr-Nd oxide market remained in the doldrums overall this week. Affected by the continuous decline in futures prices, downstream metal plants were relatively cautious in procurement, and market trading remained sluggish. However, mid-week, driven by concentrated procurement from major downstream plants, market procurement volume recovered slightly, and suppliers raised their quotes again. As of today, Pr-Nd oxide prices fluctuated downward to 700,000-705,000 yuan/mt.