China rare earths body offers cash rewards for illegal mining tip-offs

THE China Rare Earth Industry Association will offer a cash reward for tip-offs on the illegal mining, processing and smuggling of rare earths, the association said on Wechat on Tuesday (Jul 11).

The association said it will review submitted information and pass it on to the relevant authorities if necessary.

Chinese authorities have instituted a range of measures to try to curb longstanding problems with illegal rare-earths mining in recent years, including a system of annual mining quotas, amid mounting global demand for the minerals.

China is dominant in the rare-earths market. Data from the US Geological Survey showed that it accounted for 70 per cent of global production of rare earths in 2022.