Evolution of the rare earth trade network: A perspective of dependency and competition

•PMI and import similarity principle are used to detect dependency in rare earth trade.•Changes in dependency and competition during the financial crisis from 2002 to 2018 are analyzed.•China has separated from the American community and formed new communities with the ASEAN countries.•The USA has formed a super-strong community with European and Asian countries.•Major trading partners are becoming increasingly dependent on China.