Rare-earth costs surge over 20% for Japanese firms, survey shows

Commodities1 out of 10 unable to pass on extra costs at all as China's export controls biteOn average, 61% of the rare earths imported by Japanese companies come from China. (Photo by Takako Fujiu)AKINOBU IWASAWAJuly 17, 2026 06:06 JSTTOKYO -- The cost of procuring rare earths among Japanese companies has jumped by more than a fifth since last year, a private-sector survey shows, reflecting the impact of China's export restrictions.