Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) has highlighted significant price increases and growing pricing disparities for critical heavy rare earth elements in global markets following China's export controls implemented on April 4, 2025. According to the company, dysprosium oxide now exceeds $200 per kilogram in China while commanding $1,000 per kilogram outside China, representing a fivefold price differential. Terbium oxide has reached $900 per kilogram in China and more than $4,500 per kilogram in ex-China markets, alongside notable gains in praseodymium-neodymium oxide prices.
The company stated that this pricing bifurcation underscores the critical importance of developing secure North American midstream refining supply chains, particularly those centered on Ucore's proprietary RapidSX™ separation technology and its planned Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex. This development comes as China maintains dominant control over rare earth element processing and supply, creating strategic vulnerabilities for Western nations dependent on these materials for defense, technology, and clean energy applications.
Ucore further announced its ranking as second overall on the 2026 TSX Venture 50, supported by a remarkable 1,109% increase in market capitalization over the past year. The company's strategic positioning reflects growing investor recognition of the urgent need for alternative rare earth supply chains outside Chinese control. Ucore's vision includes disrupting China's control of North American rare earth supply through near-term development of processing facilities in Louisiana, with subsequent Strategic Metals Complexes planned for Canada and Alaska, along with longer-term development of its Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Heavy REE Project in Southeast Alaska.
The company's progress can be tracked through its corporate communications at https://ibn.fm/UURAF, while additional information about Ucore's operations and technology is available at https://www.ucore.com. The full press release detailing these developments can be accessed at https://ibn.fm/daRlV.
These developments carry significant implications for multiple industries including defense, renewable energy, electric vehicles, and consumer electronics, all of which depend heavily on rare earth elements for critical components. The price disparities and supply chain vulnerabilities highlighted by Ucore underscore broader geopolitical tensions and the strategic importance of developing domestic and allied-nation processing capabilities for materials essential to national security and technological advancement.
