Mines
Rare earth mines and projects
China mined 270,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide in 2025, 69% of the world total; outside China, Mountain Pass in California and Mount Weld in Australia are the two large hard-rock mines, and most other projects are still in development.
Company statements and USGS · reviewed 28 October 2026
Main rare earth mines and projects
| Mine | Country | Operator | Status | Key figure | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayan Obo | China | Baotou Steel / China Northern Rare Earth | Producing | Polymetallic ore with iron, fluorite, niobium, scandium and thorium; Baotou Steel controls the concentrate and China Northern Rare Earth is the only buyer; iron mining capacity is being raised from 10 to 15 million tonnes per year | metal.com year-end review; Interesting Engineering |
| Mountain Pass | United States | MP Materials | Producing | 29.21 Mst reserves at 5.90% TREO; about 28 years | SRK report, 30 Sep 2025 |
| Mount Weld | Australia | Lynas Rare Earths | Producing, expanding | 32.0 Mt reserves at 6.44% TREO; 106.6 Mt resource at 4.12% | Lynas, 5 Aug 2024 |
| Pela Ema | Brazil | Serra Verde (USA Rare Earth agreed to acquire, April 2026) | Producing (ionic clay) | Focus on Nd, Pr, Dy and Tb; up to $465 million US DFC funding for debottlenecking | DFC document, Aug 2025; USAR release |
| Round Top | United States | USA Rare Earth | Development | Definitive feasibility study due Q4 2026, publication Q1 2027 | USAR Q2 2026 release |
| Browns Range | Australia | Northern Minerals | Development | Final investment decision targeted Q3 2026, heavy rare earths from late 2028 (company targets) | Quartr summary |
| Goschen | Australia | VHM | Development | Iluka to take 146,000 t of concentrate (86,000 t REO) over 18 years; first production targeted by end 2027 | ASX announcements, July 2026 |
| Kangankunde | Malawi | Lindian Resources | Under construction | First ore feed targeted November 2026; 15,300 t per year of concentrate, expandable to 50,000 t | Lindian quarterly reports |
| Songwe Hill | Malawi | Mkango Resource | Development | 18.1 Mt reserves at 1.16% TREO; capex about $325.5 million; construction assumed April 2027, commissioning October 2028 | Mining Weekly, 22 May 2026 |
Mountain Pass and Mount Weld have full pages built from the operators' reserve statements. Other rows are dated company or press figures and company targets, which can move. Grades are not comparable across rows: reserves, resources and cut-offs differ.
How the mines differ
Hard-rock carbonatite mines such as Mountain Pass and Mount Weld are rich in light rare earths. Ion-adsorption clays, as at Pela Ema, are a source of heavy rare earths. Bayan Obo produces rare earths as a byproduct of iron ore mining, so output follows steel and state quotas.
See heavy vs light rare earths, reserves by country and the listed companies behind each project.
Rare earth mines: frequently asked questions
What are the largest rare earth mines?
Bayan Obo in China, Mountain Pass in California and Mount Weld in Western Australia are the main hard-rock sources. China mined 270,000 tonnes of the 390,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide equivalent mined worldwide in 2025 (USGS).
Which rare earth mines produce heavy rare earths?
USGS says heavy rare earths are elevated in some ores including ion-adsorption clays, and a mine in Brazil produced concentrates from ionic clays with elevated terbium and dysprosium in 2025. Mount Weld reports heavy rare earth grades in its reserve statement.
Are there rare earth mines in the United States?
Yes. Mountain Pass in California is the primary US source (USGS). Round Top in Texas is a development project.