To understand the whole industry chain of cerium, expand its application field and increase its potential value， a dynamic material flow analysis (MFA) framework for cerium is established in this study. It takes 1990—2018 as the time boundary and the Chinese mainland as the spatial boundary. The cerium in each link is simulated and the trade pattern of cerium in China is analyzed. The results are the followings. 1) from 1990 to 2018, China was the largest supplier of cerium and the cumulative supply to the world was 750000 t; the cumulative domestic consumption was only 390000 t and the external cumulative export volume was 220000 t, there is a surptus of 140000 t. 2) the application of cerium products involved all kinds of rare earth products, of which catalysts and alloys were the two largest application sectors, and the cumulative consumption between 1990 and 2018 was 120, 000 and 96000 t, respectively. 3) since 2010 China's cerium export volume has generally decreased and the export form has gradually transitioned from smelted products to processed products, therefore, China should continue to increase investment in scientific research to develop new applications of cerium to ensure market stability continuously. The research results may provide a reference for sorting out the whole industrial chain of cerium, identifying the contradiction between supply and demand, and expanding the application field.

rare earth  /  cerium  /  dynamic material flow analysis  /  supply and demand