Shipped Where
Imported, 2025Imported 2025
$197 million$197M
vs 2010
1.1× (nominal)
Arrived by shipBy ship
57%
Busiest portTop port
Los Angeles, CA

Most imported rare earths come from China: 54% of $197 million.

France is second at 14%. Compounds of rare-earth metals.

Where US rare earths come from, 2025Where it comes from

Share by value of the $197M the US imported, by country of originShare by value, by country of origin

  1. 01China$106M54.0%
  2. 02France$28.3M14.3%
  3. 03Japan$26.1M13.3%
  4. 04Austria$9.0M4.6%
  5. 05Germany$7.0M3.5%
  6. 06South Africa$5.0M2.5%
  7. 07South Korea$3.9M2.0%
  8. 08Malaysia$2.6M1.3%
  9. 09Estonia$2.5M1.3%
  10. 10India$1.8M0.9%
  11. All othersEveryone else combined: $4.5M2.3%

Total US rare earths imports by year · $180M in 2010 to $197M in 2025Replay the ranking year by year, 2010 to 2025

2025Press play to replay the ranking

Then and now: 2015 vs 2025Then and now

Each country's share of US rare earths imports. Gray bar is 2015, colored bar is 2025.Share of US rare earths imports. Gray is 2015, color is 2025.

France8% → 14%
China48% → 54%
India<0.1% → 0.9%
South Africa1.9% → 2.5%
Malaysia1.7% → 1.3%
Germany4.4% → 3.5%
Austria5.9% → 4.6%
Estonia3.1% → 1.3%
South Korea4.2% → 2%
Japan20% → 13%
2015 share2025, gained2025, lost

Where it's produced

Bigger circle = more value, 2025. Numbers match the list.

Most imported rare earths are produced in East Asia. China alone sends 54%, and Japan, South Korea and Malaysia add another 17%. France, Austria and Germany send 22% from Europe.

0102030405060708
0102030405060708
  1. 01China
  2. 02France
  3. 03Japan
  4. 04Austria
  5. 05Germany
  6. 06South Africa
  7. 07South Korea
  8. 08Malaysia

Where it lands

US port where it entered, 2025. Letters match the list.

57% arrives by ship, almost all in containers, mostly through West and East Coast ports. Los Angeles and Durham take 13% each. Newark follows at 7%.

ABCDEF
ABCDEF
  1. ALos Angeles, CA $26.4M
  2. BDurham, NC $25.4M
  3. CNewark, NJ $14.7M
  4. DTacoma, WA $14.1M
  5. ELong Beach, CA $13.4M
  6. FAnchorage, AK $12.7M
More detail: states listed on entry paperworkMore detail: states on paperwork

This is the destination written on customs forms, often a warehouse or distributor near the port. It is not where the rare earths is used.

Eight states are listed for over $10M each.

  1. 01Tennessee$30.0M
  2. 02North Carolina$29.1M
  3. 03Oregon$14.9M
  4. 04Florida$14.2M
  5. 05Maryland$13.1M
$10M+$4–10M$1–4M$100K–1MUnder $100K

Counted under HS 2846. How we count.