From mine to magnet: the workforce behind rare earth elements
2025-11-20T00:00:00Z
Mining
Rare earth elements (REE) are a group of 17 metallic elements, which include scandium, yttrium and 15 lanthanides. Somewhat contrary to their name, small scattered deposits of REEs can be found quite commonly; however denser, economically-viable concentrations are far more limited. Even then, they are only found within compounds, not as pure metals which adds complexity and expense to the process of separating and refining them.
Use of REEs has shifted dramatically in the last decade. Previously limited to niche applications in specialty lighting and glass, they have rapidly become critical components for clean-energy systems such as electric vehicles and wind turbines, as well as defence electronics and advanced manufacturing.
As the global appetite for rare earth elements continues to rise, so too does the need for the sophisticated mining technologies and skilled workforce needed to extract them. So, who are the major players shaping the rare earth market, what are their expansion plans, and where will they source the talent to make it happen? Read on to find out.
China’s foresight and market dominance
With rare earth elements at the heart of the global clean-energy transformation, countries and companies alike are racing to secure supply chains, expand refining capacity and build the skilled workforce needed to produce this key commodity. In 2024 the value of the global rare earth market was estimated to be approximately USD $12.44 billion (around AUD $19 billion) and is projected to reach upwards of USD $37.06 billion by 2033.
China is the undisputed kingpin of the current rare earth value chain. It is home to nearly half of the world’s known REE reserves, mines 69% of the global supply, and is also responsible for processing 90% of all REEs. USA comes second, producing 11.5% of REEs in 2024 (45,000 metric tonnes), followed by Myanmar with 8% (31,000 metric tonnes) and Australia at 3.3% (13,000 metric tonnes).
China’s dominance over the rare earth value chain is the result of strategic foresight, early investment in large-scale operations and an integrated network of logistics and infrastructure that collectively drove down production costs. Planning for rare earth production began as early as the 1980s, when China leveraged low regulatory barriers and government-backed support to scale rapidly and undercut global competitors. By the early 2000s, China had effectively secured control of the entire rare earth supply chain – from mining to refining and magnet manufacture.
China’s control over the rare earth supply chain also gives it significant geopolitical leverage over nations and industries reliant on REEs for their technology, energy and defence sectors – as evidenced by recent US-China trade tensions. With the vulnerability of global supply-chain now in focus, countries such as Australia, USA and Japan have been prompted to pursue supply diversification, new refining hubs and the expansion of recycling capabilities to reduce dependence on China.
For most nations, the greatest challenge lies not in the availability of rare earth resources, but in bottlenecks across the value chain – particularly in the processing and manufacturing stages. The midstream processes of cracking, leaching and extraction are energy-intensive, capital-heavy and carry a significant environmental footprint, while the downstream stages (refining to metals, alloy production and magnet manufacturing) are highly technical and remain heavily dependent on China. As a result, many countries ship their ores to China for separation, refining and magnet production, where their large-scale, integrated facilities offer both cost efficiency and technical capability.
Digging into Australia’s rare earth potential
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