Preface: The Export-Control Challenge
On April 4, 2025, China began requiring an export license for any magnet containing the heavy rare earth elements dysprosium (Dy), terbium (Tb), or gadolinium (Gd). The license process can add weeks of paperwork, inspections, and uncertainty, which is particularly painful for manufacturers that rely on just-in-time deliveries. Read more about that here.
Meet HRE-Free Neodymium Magnets
Adams’ offers HRE-free neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets that deliver the same magnetic strength and temperature ratings as traditional grades—but contain zero Dy, Tb or Gd. Because they fall outside the export control list, you can ship faster and keep sensitive information in-house.
| Key Benefit | What It Means for You |
| Export License-Exempt | Less hurdles and paperwork necessary – skip the permit queue |
| Equivalent Performance | Grades up to N56 match Dy/Tb magnets in Br, Hci and (BH)max |
| Stable Costs | Avoid volatile HRE metals (terbium rose 375% between 2017–2022). |
How Do They Hit Dy/Tb-Level Performance?
The secret lies in the powder used to make these NdFeB magnets: the grain size is smaller, which makes it harder to demagnetize. Dysprosium and Terbium also make it hard to demagnetize, but a smaller grain size is equally effective. The process has been established and proven effective for over a decade, and is now becoming the go-to solution in the current environment.
Result: high coercivity (Hci) and high-temperature grades equal to conventional Dy-doped magnets, but with a simpler bill of materials.
Grade Snapshot (HRE-Free vs. Conventional)
(Full materials chart of properties with all available grades and tolerances is downloadable at the end of this post.)
Why Engineers Should Care
- Drop-in replacement – Same shape, tolerances, and BH curves as Dy/Tb versions.
- High-temperature resilience – Rated up to 150 °C continuous (N40SH) without flux loss.
- Proof through data – Third-party test certificates confirm magnetic performance parity; our team can run FEA on request.
Why Procurement & Supply Chain Teams Should Care
- Bypass export bottlenecks – License-exempt means predictable lead times.
- IP & customer confidentiality – No license paperwork, so you retain full control of proprietary specifications and end-user information.
- Price stability – Eliminates Dy/Tb price swings.
Ready to safeguard your magnet pipeline—and your proprietary data?
With export regulations tightening and HRE costs gyrating, HRE-free neodymium magnets offer a smoother, safer path forward—less paperwork, better IP protection, and no performance compromise. Adams Magnetic Products is ready to help you pivot quickly.