The Ministry of Land and Resources Continued to Impose Total Exploitation Control on Tungsten, Antimony andRare Earth

The General Office of the Ministry of Land and Resources distributed “Notice on Issuing Total Exploitation Control Quota of Tungsten Mine,Antimony Mine and Rare Earth Mine (First Batch)for 2013” (the “Notice”)on January 5, it issued total exploitation control quota of tungsten mine, antimony mine and rare earth mine (first batch)for 2013.

According to the Notice, the first batch of national total exploitation control quota of tungsten mine, antimony mine, rare earth mine for 2013 will be based on 50% of the quota issued in 2012. Wherein: total exploitation control quota of tungsten concentrate (tungsten trioxide content 65%)is 43,500 tonnes, in which main exploitation quota is 34,700 tonnes, and comprehensive utilization quota is 8800 tonnes;total exploitation control quota of antimony mine (metal content)is 37,680 tonnes; total exploitation control quota of rare earth mine (rare earth oxide REO)is 46,900 tonnes, wherein the quota of ion type rare earth mine is 8950 tonnes,the quota of rock ore type light rare earth mine is 37,950 tonnes. The Notice also allocated the above quotas to each province.

The Ministry of Land and Resources also indicated that the whole year total exploitation control quota will be issued in the second quarter based on relevant national policies and market changes.

It has been learned that in order to protect the above advantageous mine varieties, improve China’s power of speech in the international mining industry market, the Ministry of Land and Resources has imposed total exploitation control on the above three mineral varieties for many consecutive years. The Ministry of Land and Resources also demanded that all provincial (regional)state land resource competent departments should properly handle the verification of total exploitation control quota execution condition of tungsten mine, antimony mine and rare earth mine for 2012, and report the investigation results to the Ministry before the end of January 2013.