Global EditionASIA 中文雙語(yǔ)Fran?ais
    Business
    Home / Business / Top News

    US says will seek adequate rare-earth supply

    By SCOTT REEVES in New York | China Daily Global | Updated: 2019-06-07 00:31
    Share
    Share - WeChat
    Wheel loaders load trucks with rare earth at the Port of Lianyungang in Lianyungang city, East Chinas Jiangsu province, Nov 6, 2010. [Photo/IC]

    The United States said it will do whatever is necessary to assure an adequate supply of rare-earth minerals as China, the world's largest producer of the metals used in high-tech consumer and military applications, said it is reviewing proposals to establish export controls for rare earths.

    "These critical minerals are often overlooked, but modern life without them would be impossible," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Tuesday in a statement. "Through the recommendations detailed in a report requested by President Donald Trump, the Federal government will take unprecedented action to ensure that the United States will not be cut off from these vital materials."

    China's National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement on Tuesday that it is reviewing proposals by industry experts to establish export controls for rare earths and hopes to have a plan in place quickly.

    Rare earths are used in high-tech applications, including semiconductors, flat-screen TVs, medical scanners, rechargeable batteries, light-emitting diodes, energy-efficient fluorescent lamps, steel alloys and high-strength magnets used in wind turbines. The metals also are used in jet engines, missile guidance systems, satellites and communications equipment.

    Rare earths are a group of 17 elements found throughout the world. However, the minerals are unusual because they are difficult to extract in high concentrations. Producers therefore must dig tons of dirt to extract small amounts of the elements. The key to producing rare earth profitably is chemistry — not operating the open pit mines.

    From the 1960s to the 1980s, the US led the world in production of rare earths with a single mine in California. But China, home to 37 percent of the world's reserves, expanded production and increased market share.

    The United States imported $160 million of rare earth compounds and metals in 2018, up nearly 17 percent from 2017, according to a report published on Monday by Reuters. California's Mountain Pass mine is the only operating US rare earths facility. But the company ships the roughly 50,000 tonnes of rare earth concentrate it extracts each year from California to China for processing. China has imposed a tariff of 25 percent on those imports during the trade dispute.

    It would take years to build enough processing plants to match China's processing capacity of 220,000 tonnes, which is five times the combined capacity of the rest of the world.

    "If China were to decide to restrict rare earth exports to the US, the effect would be significant," investment bank Goldman Sachs said in a research note last week. "Such a move on the Chinese side would clearly signal that trade talks with the US are not progressing well and that trade tensions are escalating."

    But Eugene Gholz, an associate professor of political science at the University of Notre Dame, who studies the links between national security and economic policy, said an attempt by China to restrict exports of rare earths in the current trade dispute would be ineffective.

    "Chinese export restrictions would be an annoyance, but not a catastrophe," Gholz told China Daily. "The market is resilient, and there are many ways that it would adapt.''

    It's certainly possible for the US to start refining its own rare earths, but this would take time and the sources of ore could be limited if China were ruled out, according to a BBC report.

    Reuters contributed to this story.

    Top
    BACK TO THE TOP
    English
    Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
    License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

    Registration Number: 130349
    FOLLOW US
    CLOSE
     
    无码av不卡一区二区三区| 人妻系列无码专区无码中出| 小13箩利洗澡无码视频网站 | 中文字幕av高清有码| 久久亚洲av无码精品浪潮| 亚洲第一极品精品无码久久| 天堂在/线中文在线资源官网| 精品无人区无码乱码毛片国产| 亚洲AV无码国产在丝袜线观看| 最近免费视频中文字幕大全| 伊人久久无码精品中文字幕 | 一区二区三区无码高清| 国产av永久无码天堂影院| 亚洲AV无码久久精品蜜桃| 中文字幕日韩精品在线| 日本中文字幕中出在线| 亚洲午夜无码片在线观看影院猛| 狠狠噜天天噜日日噜无码 | 欧洲Av无码放荡人妇网站 | 无码国产精品一区二区免费vr| 免费无码H肉动漫在线观看麻豆| 精品人妻无码专区中文字幕| 久久最近最新中文字幕大全| 中文字幕国产精品| 性无码专区| 精品久久久久久无码人妻蜜桃| heyzo专区无码综合| 狠狠躁天天躁无码中文字幕| 免费A级毛片无码视频| 久久久无码一区二区三区| 日韩精品少妇无码受不了| 久久亚洲精品成人av无码网站| 无码人妻精品一区二区在线视频| 亚洲va中文字幕无码久久| 无码日韩精品一区二区免费暖暖| 亚洲AV无码国产丝袜在线观看| 日韩精品真人荷官无码| 国产AV一区二区三区无码野战| 国产精品一区二区久久精品无码| 韩国免费a级作爱片无码| 免费无码婬片aaa直播表情|