In 2021, demand for rare-earth magnets will remain strong, and will even increase. The symbolic element, terbium, has already surpassed $1,000 per kilogram and is on its way to its highest price since 2013. Dysprosium, on the other hand, has seen only limited gains. Dysprosium has also remained calm.(Photo quoted from Yahoo Image Site)
As the market for rare-earth magnets expands, terbium is important for further improving performance. On the other hand, even though the demand for dysprosium magnets is expanding due to the penetration and popularization of the intergranular diffusion method, the demand for dysprosium is not growing as sharply as that for terbium. Mr. Sagawa, the inventor of the Japanese neodymium magnet, was opposed to the use of terbium, which is scarce in terms of resources, in magnets, but now it seems that Chinese and Japanese companies are using terbium in magnets as an essential element.
The price of terbium oxide (99.99% USD/kg FOB China) for the past 10 years
Price Trend of FerroDysprosium (99% USD/kg FOBChina) 1 Year
Price Trend of Didim (PrNd Mischmetal USD/kg FOBChina) 1 Year
One of the reasons for this price increase is the shortage of containers, but this does not seem to have much of an impact except for terbium and erbium oxide. However, the arrival of rare earths from China seems to have been delayed somewhat.
Erbium Oxide Price Trend (99.5%min USD/kg FOBChina) 1 year
China's Zhenghai Group Establishes Production Base for High Performance NdFeB Permanent Materials
On December 25 last year, Zhenghai Group announced that it plans to reach an agreement with the Rugao High-tech Industrial Development Zone Management Committee of Jiangsu Province to invest in a project to establish a production base for 18,000 tons of high-performance NdFeB permanent material.
The project, which will cost US$460 million in fixed costs, is expected to generate an annual revenue of US$580 million upon completion.
Zhenghai Group also plans to set up a wholly owned subsidiary to carry out this investment.
Suzhou Dongtai Magnet Co., Ltd. to Reduce Consumption of Binding Magnetic Powder
Suzhou Dongtai Magnet Co., China's largest consumer of bonded magnetic powder, saw its December consumption of bonded magnetic powder fall by 2 tons from the previous month to 13 tons.
The company, established in 2002, is a manufacturer of finished bonded magnets with an average annual capacity of 360 tons of bonded magnetic powder consumption.
The company's finished bonded magnets are mainly supplied to the household appliance and automotive industries, but due to a drop in demand from these customers, the company's bonded magnetic powder consumption fell from 240 tons last year to 175 tons this year.
Xiamen Tungsten Motor plans to build a rare-earth permanent magnet motor industrial zone in Centto, Xiamen, to start the first phase
The board of directors of Xiamen Tungsten Motor Co., Ltd. announced on December 28 that its subsidiary Xiamen Tungsten Motor Co., Ltd. has approved the first phase of the construction of a rare earth permanent magnet motor industrial zone in Centto, Xiamen, with an initial investment of approximately US$56.08 million.
The project is expected to generate future demand for the company in the rare earth permanent magnet motor sector.
The project is expected to be completed in July 2022 and is expected to generate annual sales of US$5,319,211 and net income of US$238,978 upon completion.
Huahong Technology's Wholly Owned Subsidiary Signs Long-Term Supply Agreement for Rare Earth Oxides
On December 30 last year, Huahong Technology's wholly owned subsidiary Xintai Technology signed a long-term supply agreement with China Minerals Rare Earth Co., Ltd. and Baotou Steel Rare Earth International Trade (Ganzhou) Co., Ltd. and Grirem Advanced Materials Co., Ltd., to fix the supply of rare earth oxides for the next one year (until the end of December 2021). The transportation cost is expected to affect the spot price in the future.
Chinese neodymium magnet prices to rise gradually
China's neodymium magnet market rose during the past week, buoyed by rising prices for rare earth materials, even as buyers remained reluctant to buy.
Taking sintered NdFeB magnets N35 (block) and N52 (block) as an example, they were priced at US$19.6-20.4/kg and US$29.4-30.2/kg respectively.
China's samarium cobalt magnet prices remain stable
The Chinese samarium-cobalt magnet market showed a relaxed buying trend last week.
Consumers are only buying at the royalty rate, while suppliers are reluctant to lower prices due to fixed costs.
Prices are moving in the range of US$42.5-44.0/kg.
Slow pace of demand from fluorescent lamp industry
Demand in China's rare-earth fluorescent powder market remained weak due to the poor performance of the fluorescent lamp industry, but suppliers were reluctant to lower prices due to fixed costs.
China's red, green, and blue phosphor powder prices settled at US$10.3-11.0/kg, US$62.9-63.6/kg, and US$11.2-12.0/kg, respectively.
（IRUNIVERSE USAMI）
