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Reference specimen · Christian Rewitzer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rare earths
Sample dataThe heavy rare earths dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb) are added to NdFeB magnets so they keep working at high temperatures, as in EV motors and military systems. They are far scarcer than NdPr. China, plus Myanmar ionic clays processed in China, supplies almost all of them, and China restricted Dy/Tb and other medium/heavy REEs from April 2025. Africa's best heavy-REE prospects are Lofdal (Namibia, xenotime) and Makuutu (Uganda, ionic clay).
Controlled supply
This mineral is subject to radioactive cargo handling. Offers are published only after ARAM has reviewed the supporting documents, and some details are visible to verified companies only.
Verified companies only
Volumes, origins and terms are shown to verified companies. Availability for everyone else: Pre-production pipeline. Verify your company or submit a request.
Xenotime concentrate (YPO4 with Dy, Tb, Y)
Unit: kg · HS 2846.90
Lofdal
Ionic clay leach product / mixed carbonate
Unit: kg · HS 2805.30
Makuutu
Separated Dy2O3 and Tb4O7 (≥99.5–99.9% REO purity), Dy/Tb metal and Dy-Fe alloy
Unit: kg
downstream
ARAM sourcing assessment
Scarcest and most strategic item on the list. Represent as a pipeline with named projects and target dates; broker future offtake and pilot-plant samples. Listing status: Pre-production pipeline.
Namibia
Lofdal (Namibia Critical Metals with JOGMEC/Toyota Tsusho) — PFS Jan 2026; indicative ~2,000 t TREO/yr incl. ~117 t Dy and ~17.5 t Tb (study figures)
Uganda
Makuutu (Ionic Rare Earths) — ionic adsorption clay
Madagascar
Ampasindava ionic clays (stalled)
USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — African rows of the world production & reserves table
World Mine Production and Reserves: Significant revisions were made to the 2024 production for Australia, Madagascar 121,400 122,700 NA Nigeria 1,500 1,500 NA South Africa — — 860,000 Tanzania — — 890,000 World total (rounded) 380,000 390,000 >75,000,000
| Year | Country | HS | Value | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | South Africa | 284690 | $6.3m | 280 t |
| 2024 | South Africa | 284690 | $5.5m | 287 t |
| 2024 | South Africa | 280530 | $528k | 29 t |
| 2023 | South Africa | 280530 | $163k | 8 t |
Mirror data fills gaps where exporters report late or incompletely.
| Year | Buyer | Origin | HS | Value | Net weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | USA | South Africa | 284690 | $5.2m | 212 t |
| 2024 | USA | South Africa | 284690 | $4.4m | 214 t |
| 2024 | Rep. of Korea | South Africa | 280530 | $523k | 26 t |
| 2023 | China | South Africa | 284690 | $439k | 20 t |
| 2023 | Rep. of Korea | South Africa | 280530 | $166k | 7 t |
Source: UN Comtrade (public data). Values in US$.
Minerals trade on formula prices: a published benchmark × metal content × payable percentage, less treatment charges and impurity penalties, settled on independent assay. Payment is typically by documentary letter of credit, with 90–95% provisional payment against shipping documents and the balance on final assay.
Request terms for Rare Earths — Heavy (Dy, Tb)Namibia
Export ban
2023 ban on export of unprocessed critical-mineral ores — concentrates need ministerial approval / local beneficiation
Primary source
Uganda
No special restriction
Mining and Minerals Act 2022 (state participation, local value addition)
Primary source
Operator: Namibia Critical Metals / JOGMEC
Xenotime heavy REE (Dy, Tb); PFS filed Jan 2026.
Operator: Ionic Rare Earths
Ionic-clay deposit with heavy-REE-rich basket.
Lofdal (Namibia Critical Metals with JOGMEC / Toyota Tsusho), Kunene Region: xenotime-hosted heavy REE (Dy, Tb); PFS on expanded 2B-4 filed Jan 2026; indicative ~2,000 t TREO/yr incl. ~117 t Dy and ~17.5 t Tb (project studies).
Source 1 · namibiacriticalmetals.comSource 2 · nsenergybusiness.comSource 3 · cruxinvestor.com
Makuutu (Ionic Rare Earths, Uganda): ionic-adsorption clay deposit with an HREE-rich basket — the deposit type China dominates; part of Africa's emerging HREE pipeline with Lofdal and Ngualla.
Dy/Tb oxides priced US$/kg (SMM, Asian Metal); China export controls on medium/heavy REEs (Apr 2025) widened ex-China premiums.
Research compiled September 2026 from USGS, UN Comtrade, producer and regulator publications. Facts marked “reported” come from secondary sources and should be confirmed before contracting.
Christian Rewitzer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Robert M. Lavinsky, CC BY-SA 3.0
Dave Dyet http://www.shutterstone.com http://www.dyet.com, Public domain
Reference specimens of the ore minerals and products, from public collections. They illustrate the material, not a specific ARAM lot or source.
#03Rare earths
The light rare earths neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), traded together as 'NdPr', are the key ingredients of NdFeB permanent magnets used in EV motors, wind turbines, robotics, drones and defence systems. China controls about 60–70% of mining and around 90% of separation and magnet making, and has used export controls since 2023–25. Africa has a strong pipeline of carbonatite and monazite deposits, mostly in construction or development in 2026. Early African output will be concentrate or mixed carbonate, not separated oxide.
Energy
Uranium fuels nuclear reactors. Demand is rising with new builds, life extensions and interest in small modular reactors, while supply is concentrated in Kazakhstan, Canada, Namibia and Australia. Namibia is the world's #3 producer (Husab, Rössing, Langer Heinrich) and Niger was a major source until the 2023 coup and the 2025 nationalisation of SOMAÏR. Uranium is a nuclear material, so it can only be bought and sold by licensed parties under state and IAEA controls.