Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, located in Baotou in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been striving to boost the high-quality development of its rare earth industry by strengthening the industrial chain.

Six out of the country's top 10 enterprises engaged in rare earth magnetic material production are based in the high-tech zone. It is also home to eight rare earth-related listed companies, including China Northern Rare Earth and CRRC Corporation.

A number of independently-developed rare earth products have emerged with strong market prospects. Represented by companies such as JL MAG, Ningbo Yunsheng Strong Magnet Material Co and Jinshan Magnetic Materials, the rare earth permanent magnet industry has been able to mass-produce high-performance neodymium-iron-boron magnets used in medical devices, computers, smartphones, servo motors, traction motors and new energy vehicle motors.

Companies like Baotou INST Magnetic New Materials Co. and Tianhe Magnets have become crucial suppliers of magnetic components to tech giants such as Microsoft, Samsung and Huawei.

By 2023, the rare earth magnetic materials production capacity in the high-tech zone had reached 135,000 tons, a 32.4-percent increase year-on-year. Currently, it is home to 12 rare earth permanent magnet motor enterprises, with 5 newly established in the zone in 2023.

While promoting the high-quality development of the sector, the high-tech zone is striving to create a first-class business environment. "The zone not only possesses a relatively complete rare earth industrial chain but also has the advantage of abundant rare earth resources, coupled with multiple supportive policies, providing fertile ground for the high-quality development of the rare earth industry," said Su Quan, general manager of JL MAG (Baotou) Technology Co.