China's export of rare earth up 19.2% in March

BEIJING -- China's export of rare earth increased by 19.2 percent year on year to reach 5,551 metric tons in March, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

In the first three months, China exported a total of 11,041 tons of rare earth, down 2.3 percent from the same period last year, showed the data.

China is one of the world's major suppliers of rare earth, a group of 17 elements that are widely used in high-tech products ranging from flat-screen TVs to lasers and hybrid cars.