DR advances in rare earth exploration: international forum and debate over the country’s actual reserves

The Dominican Republic is taking concrete steps toward the global critical minerals market. Minister of Energy and Mines Joel Santos revealed that rare earth exploration in the country is in an advanced phase and that by the end of this year the net value of the reserves will be known with greater precision. As part of that agenda, the Government announced the First International Forum on Rare Earths, scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, at the Convention Center of the Dominican Foreign Ministry.

Since 2024, exploration work has included geological mapping, drilling, sample collection, and preliminary metallurgical studies. Santos indicated that the incorporation of new studies will make it possible to determine both the ease of extraction and the quantity of elements available in the national territory, positioning the country as a relevant player in the strategic minerals supply chain.

The forum: technical dialogue with global experts

The event, jointly organized by the Ministries of Energy and Mines and Foreign Affairs (Mirex), will aim to present the country’s progress to the international community and receive technical recommendations from domestic and foreign specialists. The day after the forum, participants will visit the deposit directly, according to the Dominican Mining Company (Emidom).

Emidom was created through Decree 453-24 as a sole state-owned public entity with the mandate to explore and exploit the country’s strategic mineral resources, with special emphasis on rare earths.

Explored areas and global context

The four main exploration zones — Las Mercedes, El Aceitillar, El Turco, and Puerto Escondido — are located in the Bahoruco region, a territory that was already mined between 1959 and 1982 for conventional bauxite. Attention now falls on the 17 rare earth elements present in that same sedimentary rock.

On the global stage, China maintains its lead in rare earth reserves, although De León pointed out a technical paradox similar to the Dominican one: the Asian giant has also not specified whether its official figures represent gross tons or the net content of the elements. This complicates direct comparisons between countries and underscores the need to standardize measurement methodology on an international scale.

The Ministry of Energy and Mines, the General Directorate of Mining, and the National Geological Survey continue to conduct sampling at multiple levels of the deposits to precisely determine the values in parts per million per metric ton. According to authorities, definitive results will be known before the end of 2026.