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

BEIJING, April 26 -- China's export of rare earth increased by 19.2 percent year on year to reach 5,551 tonnes in March, according to data from the General Administration of Customs.

In the first three months, China exported a total of 11,041 tonnes 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.