{
  "id": 8665209,
  "title": "China Rare Earth Group in talks to buy MP Materials shareholder Shenghe Resources, sources say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/china-rare-earth-group-in-talks-to-buy-mp-materials-shareholder",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-20T10:30:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Investing.com",
    "slug": "investing-com",
    "url": "https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/china-rare-earth-group-in-talks-to-buy-mp-materials-shareholder-shenghe-resources-sources-say-4908159"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "China Rare Earth Group is reportedly in discussions to acquire Shenghe Resources, a deal that would consolidate Beijing's control over the rare earth sector and grant the firm a stake in MP Materials, a US rare earth company. If the acquisition takes place, China Rare Earth Group would gain control of Shenghe's foreign investments, including a 3% share in MP Materials, which is primarily owned by the US Department of Defense. Shenghe Resources confirmed in a filing to the Shanghai stock exchange that it is aware of false reports circulating in overseas media regarding a potential acquisition. The company's controlling shareholder, the Institute of Multipurpose Utilization of Mineral Resources, explicitly stated to the company that there are no plans to transfer control to external parties. The two companies have been in talks since earlier this year, according to sources. An acquisition would give China Rare Earth Group control over a significant player in rare earth mining and refining, closing a decades-long effort to consolidate the sector under state control. It would also provide Beijing with increased oversight of critical elements used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, and defense. Beijing has wielded this control effectively in its trade war with the US. The sources were not privy to the details of how the prospect of a major Chinese state-owned rare earth firm coexisting with a US Department of Defense shareholder might impact the deal. Neither Shenghe's overseas assets nor its stake in MP Materials would be directly affected by the acquisition. The deal would also offer Shenghe better access to quotas Beijing typically uses to manage supply, as these quotas are allocated to state-run companies and subsequently distributed to their subsidiaries.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}