Dysprosium and terbium are considered key elements for high-performance magnets. Credit: BJP7images / Shutterstock

Lynas Rare Earths has announced the start of dysprosium oxide production at its Malaysian facility, positioning the company as the first commercial-scale producer of heavy rare earth products outside China.

The new heavy rare earth separation circuit at the Malaysian facility was commissioned during the March quarter. In its March 2025 quarterly report, Lynas forecast the initiation of dysprosium production in May and terbium in June.

Lynas Rare Earths CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze described the production of spec dysprosium as “a significant step for supply chain resilience”.

“Lynas is uniquely positioned to contribute to and benefit from efforts to diversify and rebuild supply chains, including opportunities for a sustained market restructure,” she added, noting the company is “engaged with customers in Japan, the US and Europe regarding heavy rare earths supply”.

The new heavy rare earths circuit will add four new products to Lynas’ portfolio, including dysprosium, terbium, unseparated samarium/europium/gadolinium, and holmium concentrate.

Perpetua Resources has received a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers for the Stibnite gold project in Valley County, Idaho, US.

This permit marks the culmination of an eight-year federal permitting process and is the last federal approval needed before construction can begin.

With the issuance of the Section 404 permit, Perpetua Resources is now concentrating on finalising the remaining state permits and securing the necessary financing to initiate construction.

In April 2025, Stibnite was selected as a FAST-41 Transparency Project in line with President Donald Trump’s executive order to boost US mineral production.

The Stibnite project is expected to be one of the highest-grade open-pit gold mines in the US, having gold reserves of approximately 4.8 million ounces. Moreover, the site contains an estimated 148 million pounds of antimony reserves, the only known reserves in the US and some of the largest outside China’s influence.

Syrah Resources has commenced the process of restarting its Balama graphite operation in Mozambique, with maintenance and inspection teams back on site.

The sequential restart of the Balama plant involves prioritising power restoration, camp preparation and site security.

The company aims to resume natural graphite production before the end of the June 2025 quarter, with product shipments to follow.
Syrah declared force majeure at the mine in December last year, citing widespread civil unrest stemming from disputed general election results in Mozambique. The unrest disrupted operations at multiple mining sites including Balama.

Mozambique is poised for a strong recovery in its natural graphite sector in 2025, following a sharp 62.9% decline in output during 2024. According to GlobalData, Mozambique is expected to reclaim its position as the world’s second-largest graphite producer, with output projected to reach 247.5 thousand tonnes in 2025, underpinned by the Balama restart project and the Nipepe project.

The Ethiopian Finance Ministry has announced the signing of five major investment deals, worth more than $1.6bn (214.99bn birr), to bolster the country’s minerals and energy sectors.

These agreements, predominantly with Chinese companies, are part of Ethiopia’s economic reform strategy. The deals were secured during the two-day Ethiopia High-Level Business Forum 2025 held in Addis Ababa on 12-13 May.

Among the investments are a $500m commitment from Huawei Mining Processing Company for minerals exploration and processing, and the establishment of a specialised economic zone. Sequa Mining and Processing, a joint venture between Ethiopian and Chinese companies, has pledged $600m to advance coal mining projects within the country.

Minister of Finance of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Ahmed Shide reiterated the government’s commitment to creating a supportive environment for private sector growth, maintaining macroeconomic stability and implementing comprehensive reforms.

Diamond mining giant De Beers Group plans to discontinue its lab-grown diamond (LGDs) jewellery brand, Lightbox, and focus on natural diamonds.

Discussions regarding the sale of Lightbox’s assets, including its inventory, to potential buyers are under way.

Launched in 2018, Lightbox distinguished LGDs from natural diamonds, highlighting their unique attributes and differing values by offering transparent linear pricing of $800/carat.

However, LGD wholesale prices in the jewellery sector have since plummeted by 90%, aligning more with a cost-plus model. This price drop has led De Beers to cease operations of the Lightbox business to concentrate on high-return activities and streamline operations.

“The planned closure of Lightbox reflects our commitment to natural diamonds. We are also excited at the growing commercial potential for synthetic diamonds in the technology and industrial space,” stated De Beers Group CEO Al Cook.