Hobart M. King, PhD, rpg rare Earth Element Production

Reserves
(Metric Tons)

United States	43,000	1,800,000
Australia	22,000	4,000,000
Brazil	500	21,000,000
Burma	26,000	not available
Burundi	100	not available
Canada	--	830,000
China	168,000	44,000,000
Greenland	--	1,500,000
India	2,900	6,900,000
Madagascar	3,200	not available
Russia	2,700	21,000,000
South Africa	--	790,000
Tanzania	--	890,000
Thailand	8,000	not available
Vietnam	400	22,000,000
Other Countries	300	280,000
World total (rounded)	280,000	120,000,000

Rare Earth Production Outside of China
Mines in Australia began producing rare earth oxides in 2011. In 2012 and 2013 they were supplying about 2% to 3% of world production. In 2012 the Mountain Pass Mine came back into production, and the United States produced about 4% of the world's rare earth elements in 2013. Production in Brazil, Malaysia, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam continued or increased.
New mineral resource assessments conducted by the United States Geological Survey identified significant resources outside of China. Although China is the world leader in rare earth production, they only control about 36% of the world's reserves. This provides an opportunity for other countries to become important producers now that China is not selling rare earth materials below the cost of production.

REE Production Chart: This chart shows China's dominance in the production of rare earth elements between 1994 and 2021. The United States was a significant producer through the 1990s, but low-priced materials sold by China forced mines in the United States and other countries out of operation. As China limited exports, and prices increased rapidly in 2009 and 2010, mines in Australia and the United States became active again. In 2018, data from Burma / Myanmar became available, causing an increase in production that may have been present but unreported prior to 2018. Graph by Geology.com using data from the United States Geological Survey.

Producers of Rare Earth Elements: This pie chart shows the world's major producers of rare earth elements. Countries which fall into the "other" category include India, Madagascar, Vietnam, Russia, and Brazil. Image by Geology.com using data from the United States Geological Survey.
Dangers of a Dominant World Producer
Supply and demand normally determine the market price of a commodity. As supplies shrink, prices go up. As prices go higher, those who control the supply are tempted to sell. Mining companies see high prices as an opportunity and attempt to develop new sources of supply.
With rare earth elements, the time between a mining company's decision to acquire a property and the start of production can be several years or longer. There is no fast way to open a new mining property.
If a single country controls almost all of the production and makes a firm decision not to export, then the entire supply of a commodity can be quickly cut off. That is a dangerous situation when new sources of supply take so long to develop.
In 2010 China significantly restricted their rare earth exports. That was done to ensure a supply of rare earths for domestic manufacturing and for environmental reasons. This shift by China triggered panic buying, and some rare earth prices shot up exponentially. In addition, Japan, the United States, and the European Union complained to the World Trade Organization about China's restrictive rare earth trade policies.