Fluorescence imaging of rare earth crystals under ultraviolet irradiation.

How to buy a neodymium magnet? Click me, the lowest price

According to the news network on August 9th, the Japanese media said that the international price of rare earth is falling, and the price of index products has dropped by 3% to 4% compared with the previous month.

According to the "Nikkei Business News" website reported on August 8, in the rare earth, the main producing country of Neodymium magnets in China, the factory operation restrictions caused by environmental restrictions have been lifted in stages, and production is recovering. The depreciation of the renminbi has driven the trend of increased exports, which has also led to a decline in the trading prices of rare earths and Neodymium magnets. Prices for products such as magnets are also likely to fall.

The spot price (real-time contract) is currently around $64.5 per kilogram, and the bismuth mixture is around $65.5, both down 10% from the March high. The price of bismuth added to the magnet to improve heat resistance has dropped to around $460 per kilogram, which is also 10% lower than in March.

According to the report, in the field of rare earths and neodymium magnets, China's production accounts for nearly 80% of the world's total output. Since the spring of 2017, China has strengthened environmental protection restrictions and started on-site inspections of smelting plants. After the spring of 2018, inspections have gradually ended. The plant that has stopped running during the inspection has restarted production activities. As of mid-July, a series of inspections seems to have ended. The supply of rare earths is returning to the level before the environmental restrictions are strengthened, and the supply in the market is increasing. In the summer of 2017, when many factories stopped working, the price of rare earth rose to nearly one hundred dollars.

The report said that in addition, the Sino-US trade war led to the depreciation of the renminbi and also promoted the price reduction of rare earth and neodymium magnets. Kawasaki, deputy director of a rare earth trading company in Japan, said that "Chinese producers are actively supplying" due to the increase in transactions settled in US dollars. In Europe and the United States, companies with demand for rare earths and neodymium magnets have reduced their purchases during the summer vacation, and there have been temporary signs of oversupply.

Due to the drop in raw material prices, a large Japanese magnet company said that it will “slightly cut prices in the next six months”. This may help auto parts manufacturers reduce manufacturing costs.

At the same time, the demand for rare earths continues to increase. The International Energy Agency predicts that global sales of pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles will reach 21.5 million units by 2030, up from 15 times in 2017.

According to reports, the demand for rare earth and neodymium magnets for engine magnets is likely to increase globally. According to data compiled by the Japan New Metals Association, demand for bismuth (including bismuth blends) in Japan increased by 10% year-on-year to 4,400 tons in 2017, a four-year increase.

In Japan, where component manufacturers gather, the demand for rare earths and neodymium magnets in 2018 is also likely to continue to grow. Kawasaki believes that "after September, when demand recovers, prices will rise."