Thirty surface samples were collected from the inner-shelf mud areas of the East China Sea. The compositions of rare earth element (REEs), major and minor elements, TOC, CaCO3 and grain size were analyzed for bulk samples. With the results, the authors discussed the factors controlling the distribution of the REEs. The results show that the contents of ΣREEs in the inner shelf mud deposits of the East China Sea range from 182.8 ~ 221 μg/g with an average of 206.5 μg/g, significantly higher than that in the loess, Yellow River and Yarlung Tsangbo River sediments, but similar to that of the Yangtze River and Oujiang River sediments.