×
![]()
Rare earth minerals return to the U.S. security agenda
The Mountain Pass rare earths mine restarted activity in 2018, and now produces about 15,000 tons of minerals every year. For now, however, all of that must be sent to China for processing (source: MP Materials)
General info
What's inside
- Beijing has threatened to cut off rare earth supplies to the U.S.
- The U.S. is severely dependent on China for such resources
- The government is trying to build up a domestic supply chain
- That is a long-term project. There are few short-term solutions
Who will benefit?
- Report is targeted to the decision makers in cross country manufacturing – suppliers, manufacturers, logistics.
- Also considered useful for the administrative university facilities, to better understand the possible effects of current decisions.
Suggested reports
How China’s strict rare earths policies sparked a backlash
China has limited natural resources for a country of its size. But the exception is rare earths, in which it has a virtual world monopoly. In recent years, Beijing has been buying huge quantities of raw materials from around the world, but its rare earths export restrictions and quotas have ...
China fights to retain dominance of rare earths market
China’s new policy of limiting exports of rare earth elements (REEs) is causing increasing concern in the rest of the world. China is set to dominate the market for years to come, but attempts by Western countries to modify its policy via the World Trade Organisation have so far proved ...
China moves closer to a monopoly in rare earths
World demand for rare earths elements, vital in many new technologies, is forecast to increase to 200,000 tonnes a year by 2014, with China producing 160,000 tonnes. Beijing has already exploited its near monopoly by temporarily suspending exports to Japan in 2010, and some experts believe it is planning to ...
US fights back against China’s rare earths domination
Mountain Pass, a mine in California, produced 70 per cent of the world’s rare earths supply until the early 1980s. Since then, China has achieved global dominance of production and trade in the 17 elements, which are vital to modern technology. US leaders have woken up to the potential dangers ...
