Posted on 09/29/2010 7:32:57 AM PDT by blam
America Will Lose A Trade War With China Because It Desperately Needs Rare Earth Metals
Vincent Fernando, CFA
Sep. 29, 2010, 9:46 AM
Image: www.industrialmineralscorp.com.au
If there's one thing the latest political spat between Chinese and Japan has exposed, it's China's massive control of the global rare earths market.
At the Money Game we've previously discussed China's near-monopoly over the rare earths used in all kinds of modern technology, including many types of U.S. military hardware.
As tensions flared over Japan's detention of a Chinese ship captain, and the China's detention of Japanese soon after, Japanese companies reported that rare earth shipments from China were being delayed or blocked. The central Chinese government has denied the reports, but it's pretty clear by now that some sort of retaliatory action happened even if it wasn't a policy decision given substantial concern from Japan. Local Chinese players on the ground might have decided to take it upon themselves to punish Japan with delayed rare earth exports, even if the central government didn't want them to do it.
It's huge a wake up call for Japan and other nations around the world, including the U.S., because many parts of the modern technology economy are dependent on rare earths.
The problem is that while rare earths production can be developed in many other parts of the world, (The U.S. actually has an abundant amount of rare earths, it's just not mined currently) in the short-term almost nothing can be done to remove China's choke hold over this niche of the technology supply chain. It takes time to get new mines up and running.
Thus in the case of Japan, this harsh reality means they simply have to capitulate and keep China happy, because the economic costs
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
Let’s go ahead and try, shall we?
BS, we depend on rare earth minerals because we need to. Forced to find alternatives, the US Economy will find a way to replace them. China, however, cannot survive the loss of the US Market.
This stuff is found everywhere. The only inhibiting factors are "residual radioactivity" in the mine sites AND the difficulty and cost of separating the materials from the ore.
It was only a week ago that I ever heard the term “rare earths” and now I see that term EVERYWHERE!!
Doesn’t China desperately need to sell these metals?
How much of China’s rare earth supply comes from abroad via relationships with other third world nations vs what they have within their borders?
RE: RARE EARTH METALS
For those who want to own it in their portfolio, there is an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) that has an basket of rare earth metals. The symbol is REE. Check it out.
More importantly, how much potential production do we have within US borders that is currently unrecoverable due to environmental regulations?
I thought the United States doesn’t manufacture things?
Well then let’s just give the little commie bastards the key to the vault shall we?
LLS
A number of mines have also been kept closed due to environmentalist lawsuits...
Oh well!
We’re too busy worshiping the environment and gearing up to live like a turd world country.
China will sell you all the rare earth metals you want. Of course, you have to build the plant that uses to build all the electronics etc,,in China. They have this CRAZY idea of putting their economy first.
China also refuses to inflate their currency away, and is heading in the direction of backing their currency with gold to really protect it from Soros-style attacks.
Of course this will make their currency attractive to foreigners who want a safe place for their money.
And here, he have socialists, printing money as fast as they can, and making it impossible to mine rare earths here, or to manufacture here if you could get them. Kudos Washington DC!! Red China looks like a conservative nation compared to you.
All it’d take to remove China’s chokehold is to build our own mines.
That said, for the short term, we are beholdened for those raw materials.
But if there is a spat, a few commando raids against Chinese mines will ensure that THEY don’t have any rare earth elements either... Thus equalizing the playing field.
And the lesson they’ll take away from that is not to put all their eggs in one basket (ie - have all their mines in one country). Which would lead to other nations building their own mines. Thus causing China to break their own monopoly for national security reasons.
” The U.S. actually has an abundant amount of rare earths, it’s just not mined currently...”
Wonder why ?
ESA, a rat, Agenda 21, or wilderness study area ?
Once upon a time, the US had large strategic stockpiles of various rare earths. As I recall, they were sold off at “fire sale” prices. I don’t recall which party/president was behind it. For some reason I’m connecting LBJ with it, but haven’t checked.
Besides, most of the discussion is on what you do with the so-called "heavy sands" after you separate out the rare earths. The development of a thorium reactor will solve that part.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.