Rare Earth Reserves Rearrangement: Who Among the Global 8 Players is the Strongest?

Under the wave of clean energy and technological upgrades, the competition for rare earths is becoming increasingly fierce. Supply Chain risks are continually rising, but did you know? Having money doesn't necessarily mean you can dig.

According to the latest data from the U.S. Geological Survey, global rare earth reserves are 1.3 million tons, distributed very unevenly:

🥇 China: 44 million tons (the largest producer in the world, producing 270,000 tons in 2024)

🥈 Brazil: 21 million tons (abundant reserves but low production, only 20 tons in 2024, but the new mine Serra Verde is expected to produce 5,000 tons annually by 2026)

🥉 India: 6.9 million tons (holding 35% of the world's beach mineral deposits)

4️⃣ Australia: 5.7 million tons (producing 13,000 tons in 2024, Lynas is the largest non-China supplier globally)

5️⃣ Russia: 3.8 million tons (a dramatic drop from 10 million tons last year… impact of the war?)

6️⃣ Vietnam: 3.5 million tons (significantly revised down from 22 million tons last year)

7️⃣ United States: 1.9 million tons (awkwardly, the second largest production globally at 45,000 tons, but the reserves are actually the lowest)

8️⃣ Greenland: 1.5 million tons (not yet mined, but Trump is paying attention👀)

Key Observations: China accounts for 70% of global production, while the reserve data from Russia and Vietnam has fluctuated significantly within a year (is it data adjustment or is there really a problem?). Brazil, India, and Australia are rising. The technology for rare earth separation is complex and the environmental costs are high; it's not enough to just have mines—this is why Brazil has so many reserves but cannot produce.

2024 Global Rare Earth Production of 390,000 Tons, three times that of a decade ago. The appetite for EVs/chips/green energy is growing larger, and whoever can ensure a stable Supply Chain in the next decade will hold the lifeblood of the technology industry.