China's new northern rare earths find could cement global dominance

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Heilongjiang Bureau of Geology have identified a novel type of rare earths deposit in China's frigid northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang and Jilin. Unlike the clay-rich formations in southern China that require intensive chemical leaching to extract the 17 critical elements (e.g., cerium, neodymium, dysprosium) used in electronics, magnets, superconductors, and defense technologies, the new northern deposits consist of loose sand and gravel. These were formed by natural freeze-thaw cycles, making extraction potentially more efficient, less costly, and significantly more environmentally friendly.

This discovery challenges the long-held 'heavy in the south, light in the north' pattern that had dictated China's rare earths distribution. By offering a simpler and cheaper mining alternative, the find could solidify China's already dominant position in the global rare earths market—just as Western nations, including the US, scramble to secure their own supply chains. The shift could also accelerate production of high-temperature superconductors and other advanced materials, as recently demonstrated by experiments aboard China's Shenzhou-20 spacecraft.