Here we present an experimental study of the distribution of a broad range of trace elements between carbonatite melt, calcite and fluorite. The experiments were performed in the CaCO.sub.3 + CaF.sub.2 + Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 ± Ca.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2 synthetic system at 650-900 °C and 100 MPa using rapid-quench cold-seal pressure vessels. Starting mixtures were composed of reagent-grade oxides, carbonates, Ca.sub.3(PO.sub.4).sub.2 and CaF.sub.2 doped with 1 wt% REE-HFSE mixture. The results show that the distribution coefficients of all the analyzed trace elements for calcite and fluorite are below 1, with the highest values observed for Sr (0.48-0.8 for calcite and 0.14-0.3 for fluorite) and Y (0.18-0.3). The partition coefficients of REE gradually increase with increasing atomic number from La to Lu. The solubility of Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta in the synthetic F-rich carbonatitic melts, which were used in our experiments, is low and limited by crystallization of baddeleyite and Nb-bearing perovskite.