Malaysia allows first export of unprocessed rare earths under new rules
It is among the nations that are developing capacity for the minerals to reduce reliance on China
On October 12th, Malaysia permitted the export of unprocessed rare earths for the first time, marking the initial approval under a new framework aimed at testing and potentially attracting investments in local capacity. The Department of Mineral and Geoscience Malaysia granted the solitary export application, with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability confirming the decision to Bloomberg.
The ministry, however, did not disclose the identity of the applicant or any further details. Despite China's dominance in rare earth mining and processing, countries such as Malaysia are striving to establish their own capacity to lessen reliance on Beijing. Currently, Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths and Malaysia's Berjaya stand as the primary non-Chinese producers.
Foreign entities like France’s Carester, planning a rare earths separation plant in Perak in collaboration with Malaysia’s Malaco Mining Group, and over a dozen U.S. firms are also investigating local prospects. In October, Malaysia unveiled guidelines for the conditional export of raw rare earths, lifting a moratorium that had been in effect since 2024.
The revised framework allows shipments of unprocessed materials for research and development or processing, contingent upon meeting specific conditions. The ministry emphasized that the guidelines are open to eligible applicants, including foreign companies, provided they adhere to regulatory requirements. The priority is not the quantity of applications approved but the quality of investments, technology transfer, and long-term value creation.
Written by urgent.news from The Business Times - Companies & Markets's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
