According to publicly available statistical data, as of early 2012, China’s global share of rare earth reserves had dropped from 96% in 2005 to 30%. However, based on the latest exploration findings and partial data from various countries over recent years, in two or three years’ time, China will likely no longer be able to maintain its position as the world’s leading supplier of rare earth resources. The global landscape of rare-earth mineral reserves has already begun to shift.

　　China

　　China is truly the world’s largest country in terms of rare-earth resources, with proven reserves amounting to approximately 65.88 million tons. Not only are China’s rare-earth resources abundant in quantity, but they also boast advantages such as a complete variety of mineral types and rare-earth elements, as well as reasonable grades and distribution patterns of these elements—a solid foundation for the development of China’s rare-earth industry. Moreover, China’s rare-earth resources benefit from highly favorable ore-forming conditions, encompassing a full range of deposit types and exhibiting both wide geographic distribution and relative concentration.

　　China’s rare-earth deposits exhibit a geographical distribution characterized by both wide coverage and relative concentration. To date, geologists have identified over a thousand ore deposits, mineral occurrences, and mineralized areas in more than two-thirds of the country’s provinces (and autonomous regions). In addition to the concentrated distribution areas of rare-earth resources—such as Baiyun Obo in Inner Mongolia, southern Jiangxi, northern Guangdong, and Liangshan in Sichuan—rare-earth deposits have also been discovered in provinces and regions including Shandong, Hunan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian, Zhejiang, Hubei, Henan, Shanxi, Liaoning, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang. However, the resource quantities in these less concentrated areas are significantly smaller compared to those in the highly concentrated and enriched zones. Ninety-eight percent of the nation’s total rare-earth resources are concentrated in regions such as Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, and Shandong, forming a distribution pattern that spans north, south, east, and west, with a distinctive feature of lighter resources in the north and heavier resources in the south.

　　Before 2012, China’s rare earths held several world-leading positions: it ranked first in the world in terms of reserves, particularly in the category of medium- and heavy-rare-earth elements—critical for military applications and relatively scarce; it was also first in production scale, with China accounting for 96% of global rare-earth production by 2005; and it topped the world in export volume, with 60% of China’s output being exported, representing more than 63% of international trade. Moreover, China was the only country in the world capable of supplying large quantities of rare-earth products in various grades and types. It could be said that China was openly and generously supplying the world without regard for costs. According to a report by the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s annual production capacity for rare-earth smelting and separation stood at 200,000 tons—a figure exceeding the world’s annual demand by more than double. Yet China’s generosity has fueled the greed of certain countries.

　　On May 20, 2015, the Henan Provincial Nuclear Industry Geological Bureau achieved a major breakthrough in mineral exploration in Taiping Town, Xixia County, Nanyang City. Preliminary estimates indicate that the discovered rare-earth resource reserves exceed 100,000 tons, reaching the scale of a medium-sized rare-earth deposit.

　　In July 2015, the No. 7 Geological Brigade of Zhejiang Province discovered a large rare-earth deposit in Qingyuan County, located in the southwestern part of Zhejiang Province. The estimated resource amount exceeds 100,000 tons, and the deposit is poised to become Zhejiang’s first large-scale light rare-earth mining area with relatively favorable ore distribution characteristics, as well as its first large rare-earth deposit of industrial significance.

　　United States

　　The primary rare-earth resources in the United States include bastnäsite, monazite, and, as by-products recovered during the beneficiation of other minerals, black rare-earth ores, euxenite, and xenotime. The Mountain Pass mine, located in San Bernardino County, California, is the world's largest single deposit of bastnäsite. Discovered in 1949 during exploration for radioactive minerals, this mine boasts a rare-earth content ranging from 5% to 10% REO, with reserves totaling as much as 5 million tons—accounting for approximately 13% of global reserves—a truly large-scale rare-earth deposit. The United States has long been mining monazite; currently, the main sand-mining operation is at the Green Cove Springs mine in Florida. The ore deposit measures roughly 19 kilometers in length, 1.2 kilometers in width, and 6 meters in thickness, with monazite being relatively abundant. In addition, sand deposits are also found in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Idaho, and Montana, each with considerable reserves. However, the U.S. has already closed many rare-earth mines, including the once-largest Mountain Pass mine.

　　Chile

　　On June 3, 2015, Albornoz, head of BioLantánidos, a mining fund company based in Chile, announced the discovery of high-concentration rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium in clay layers covered by extensive pine forests around the city of Concepción in Chile.

　　Peru

　　In December 2014, the U.S. rare-earth exploration company RioSol and its Peruvian mining subsidiary announced the discovery of a significant rare-earth element and polymetallic deposit in Peru—a site that boasts the richest rare-earth resources in South America. Located within ten kilometers of the adjacent Capacscaya area, this deposit has been found to contain large quantities of high-grade neodymium, scandium, lanthanum, cerium, yttrium, europium, as well as other light and heavy rare-earth elements and their associated oxides. Notably, however, the levels of radioactive nuclides detected were extremely low and negligible.

　　India

　　India’s primary mineral deposits are placer deposits. India’s monazite production began in 1911, with the largest deposits located in the states of Kerala, Madras, and Orissa. Well-known mining areas include the Chavara and Manavala Kurichi deposits, collectively referred to as the Travancore deposit, situated along the western coast of southern India. Between 1911 and 1945, these deposits supplied half of the world’s monazite output and remain important mining regions today. In 1958, during exploration for uranium and thorium resources, a new monazite and ilmenite deposit of enormous scale was discovered on the Ranchi Plateau in the interior of Bihar State. The monazite from India contains up to 8% ThO2. At the Manavala Kurichi mine, heavy sands containing monazite account for 5–6%. Ilmenite makes up 65%, rutile 3%, zircon 5–6%, and garnet 7–8%.

　　Russia

　　Russia possesses substantial reserves of rare earth elements, primarily in associated deposits located on the Kola Peninsula, where rare-earth-bearing apatite is found within alkaline rocks. Russia’s main source of rare earth elements is the recovery of these elements from apatite ore. In addition to apatite, other rare-earth-bearing minerals that can be recovered from apatite ore include cerianite-niobium-titanite, which contains 29% to 34% rare earth elements. Furthermore, fluorocarbonates of cerium are also found in Khrebet and Senner.

　　Australia

　　Australia is a major producer of monazite, a byproduct recovered during the extraction of zircon, rutile, and ilmenite. Australia’s placer deposits are concentrated primarily in the western region. Australia also produces xenotime. Other exploitable rare-earth resources in Australia include uranium tailings from the Isa Hill mine located in central Queensland, as well as the Roxby Downs copper-uranium-gold deposit in South Australia.

　　Canada

　　Canada primarily obtains rare earth elements as a byproduct from uranium mining. The uranium deposits located in the Blind River–Ely Lake area of Ontario are mainly composed of pitchblende, uraninite, monazite, and xenotime. During the wet-process uranium extraction, these rare earth elements can also be recovered. In addition, the pyrochlore deposits in the Opinaca region of Quebec represent a significant potential source of rare earth elements. Furthermore, the Strange Lake mine, situated within the boundaries of Newfoundland and Labrador, also contains yttrium and heavy rare earth elements and is poised for development.

　　On October 23, 2013, Canada’s Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. announced the discovery of abundant rare-earth mineral deposits in northern Quebec, positioning the company to play a pivotal role in the global rare-earth market in the future.

　　According to Morreno, an analyst at EuroPacific Canada, the rare-earth deposits in the Strange Lake region of northern Quebec are not only remarkably abundant but also feature a highly favorable mix of rare-earth elements tailored to meet market demands. The company’s rare-earth mine contains a significant proportion of heavier rare earths—elements that are even rarer and more sought after. A preliminary feasibility study conducted by the Toronto-based exploration company forecasts an average annual production of 13,650 metric tons of rare-earth oxide concentrate. The report indicates that 47% of the annual output from the Strange Lake rare-earth mine—and 57% of its total revenue—will come from heavy rare earths and yttrium concentrates, positioning the exploration company as a leading global supplier of these critical materials. Developing the Strange Lake rare-earth mine will require substantial investment; based on the open-pit mine’s projected lifespan of 30 years, the total capital investment needed is estimated at CAD 2.57 billion. According to calculations, once the Strange Lake rare-earth mine begins operations in 2018, its annual revenue could exceed CAD 1 billion.

　　South Africa

　　South Africa is the most important producer of monazite in Africa. The apatite mine at Steenkampskraal in the Cape Province, which hosts monazite as a byproduct, is the world’s only single-vein monazite rare-earth deposit. In addition, rare-earth elements are also found in coastal sands at Chatsworth on the southeastern coast, and monazite and bastnäsite are present as associated minerals in the Buffalo fluorite mine; plans and studies are underway to recover these resources.

　　Kenya

　　In the autumn of 2014, Cortec Mining Ltd. announced the discovery of rare-earth mineral deposits in Kenya, with an estimated value of US$62.4 billion. Currently, there are only three projects undergoing feasibility studies or preliminary feasibility studies. Insufficient funding, coupled with an unstable supply-and-demand dynamic in the market, will undoubtedly pose significant challenges for companies in the primary mining sector. Nevertheless, the quality of these resources is beyond doubt.

　　Malaysia

　　Primarily recovering rare-earth minerals such as monazite, xenotime, and euxenite from tailings of tin mines, this process was once the world’s main source of heavy rare earths and yttrium.

　　Egypt

　　Egypt recovers monazite from ilmenite ore. The deposit is located in the Nile River Delta region and consists of riverside sand deposits formed by the weathering and accumulation of alluvial sands from upstream sources. The monazite reserves are estimated at about 200,000 tons.

　　Brazil

　　Brazil is one of the world’s oldest producers of rare earth elements. As early as 1884, it began exporting monazite to Germany and once enjoyed worldwide fame. Brazil’s monazite resources are concentrated along its eastern coastline—from Rio de Janeiro to Fortaleza in the north—spanning a region roughly 643 km long, with deposits of considerable scale.

　　North Korea

　　In December 2013, the private company SREMinerals recently reached a cooperation agreement with the North Korean Natural Resources Trading Corporation to jointly establish a new joint venture aimed at developing the Jongju rare-earth deposit, located 150 kilometers northeast of Pyongyang in North Korea. Jongju is reportedly the world’s largest rare-earth deposit.

　　According to professional assessments, the Jongju deposit has total potential mineral reserves of 6 billion tons, including approximately 216.2 million tons of rare-earth oxides, primarily composed of cerian apatite and associated rare-earth minerals such as lanthanum, cerium, and praseodymium—light rare-earth elements. The reserves of heavier rare-earth elements, which are more valuable, amount to about 5.45 million tons, accounting for 2.6% of the total rare-earth oxide reserves.

　　Afghanistan

　　In September 2011, according to a report on the official website of the U.S. Geological Survey, vast reserves of rare-earth minerals were discovered beneath the Khan Nayin extinct volcano in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan—minerals whose total value could reach as much as 83 billion U.S. dollars. After two years of research, the U.S. Geological Survey announced that rare-earth deposits, estimated at about one million tons, had been found beneath the Khan Nayin extinct volcano in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan, covering an area of approximately 0.74 square kilometers. According to the U.S. Geological Survey’s website, the Khan Nayin rare-earth deposit in Afghanistan is rich in light rare-earth elements such as lanthanum, cerium, and neodymium—quantities that rival those found in world-class rare-earth mining areas like Mountain Pass in California, U.S., or Bayan Obo in Inner Mongolia, China.

　　In fact, as early as 2007, the U.S. Geological Survey completed a preliminary assessment of Afghanistan’s mineral resources, concluding that the southern part of Afghanistan could potentially hold around 1.5 million tons of rare-earth resources. In its most recent assessment report, the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the Khan-e-Nehin dormant volcano alone contains roughly 1 million tons of rare-earth resources, confirming the predictions made in 2007. The findings regarding the discovery of rare-earth elements beneath the Khan-e-Nehin dormant volcano will be included in a major report by the U.S. Geological Survey, which is scheduled to be published later this year.

　　Japan

　　In March 2013, geologists discovered exceptionally rich deposits of rare earth minerals near Minamitorishima Island in the Pacific Ocean, within Japan’s exclusive economic zone. The reserves are a hundred times greater than all the rare earth deposits ever found on Earth. These rare earth deposits lie at a depth of only 2 to 4 meters beneath the seabed—though the total water depth in the area reaches as much as 5,700 meters. According to Professor Yasuhiro Kato of the University of Tokyo, however, the costs of extraction will be remarkably low. He estimates that geological exploration efforts will continue for about two more years before production can begin.