Australian miner Lynas Corp Ltd said today its third-quarter rare earth oxides production dropped 18 percent due to coronavirus-led shutdowns at its Malaysian processing plant and limited operations at its flagship mine in Australia.

The company produced 4,465 tonnes of rare earth oxides (REO) in the quarter ended March 31, compared with 5,444 tonnes last year.

The miner said production of Neodymium Praseodymium or NdPr, used to make high-strength permanent magnets found in ventilators, computers and wind turbines, fell 14 percent to 1,369 tonnes.

- Reuters