Japan's Sojitz Begins Importing Australian Rare Earths

Sojitz Corp., a Japanese major trading company, has started importing heavy rare earths from Australia.

The company plans to increase imports to around 30% of Japan's total domestic demand, used in electric vehicle motors and wind turbines.

Sojitz's partner, Lynas Rare Earths Ltd., extracts and transports the rare earths to Malaysia for separation and refining.
The products will be more expensive than those produced in China, where the entire process is carried out domestically.

Sojitz's initiative is expected to help diversify Japan's rare earth supply chains, as the country currently relies heavily on imports from China.

Author's summary: Sojitz imports Australian rare earths.

Nippon.com — 2025-10-30