Can The U.S. Break China's Stranglehold On Rare Earth Metals?

Can The U.S. Break China's Stranglehold On Rare Earth Metals?

It's time to try - before it's too late.

the short answer? as with all things...it will happen when there is money to be made in it.

At the current time 13 million tons metric, estimated, of rare earth minerals, are not being mined in the USA because the permit process guts the business like unions strangle manufacturing and shipping here.

It has to be a really big score to make it worth the effort.

The Elk River (creek?) NE findings will likely get attention and will hopefully begin operations, but only because its huge and worth the bother of permits and funding and secondly, will not generate negative press from the tree huggers when these elements are being mined mainly to fuel their lust for giant ridge destroying propellers, cancer causing smart phones and Haz-Mat nasty electric cars....

I think there is truly two topics here in your OP and you pick the one you want to run with;

1. rare earth minerals; the new poster child for US dependence on foreign goods?

2. When are we finally going to nuke the commies back into the stone age and make the world safe for the USA?

If we have the stomach to beef up our neo-colonialism skills, we can probably find other sources than China.

Or buy from China by impersonating customers that are acceptable to them.

There's more ways to kill a cat than by choking it on warm butter!

And why should I respect clowns, who let it happen? That was a question missing.

Which clowns let this happen?

There were producing mines in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, Greenland, and the United States, but these shut down when China undercut world prices in the 1990s.

You are kidding me. Obviously, your better in Washington and in its environs. Who do blow hot air all the time, but absent, when heavy lifting is to be done. China did a decade ago (!?), what a determined competitor does. Undercutting prices until all opposition collapses. Then rise the price thru the roof. Now they own 97% of the world in rare earths. Some 3 years ago declared, that they want to do the magnet manufacturing on a super scale, as it raises the price 10fold again. Good for them. It is many centuries old economics 101.

And what did your super geniuses here did in this 10 years (hint: strategic reserves, strategic industries) do? Sit on their hand, picked their noses, and made interminable speeches.

Another hint: Did they ever heard, that there is 2 parties in a competition? Or is it too difficult to grasp?

Leveles, I am truly amazed.

While I was composing, you posted. In your first paragraph, we have offered nearly exactly the same opinion. It is mostly condescending, but we agree nonetheless. Then, you lose me.

Who are "...(my) super geniuses..." supposed to be, and how have they contributed to Chinese governmental protectionism?

Your obnoxious rhetorical question "Did they ever heard, that there is 2 parties in a competition? Or is it too difficult to grasp?" leaves me dumbfounded.

Read my note again. I spelled out clearly, that "Washington and its environs" bright boys are not so bright, as they keep telling us ad nauseam. It is not unearned condescension, but a well deserved contempt they get.

China is good at long term planning, like 5 -50 years plans. They also state they goals. They are openly competitive. Are the bright boys - supposedly forming industrial policy, in this case - deaf, lazy, blinkered or hidebound to do anything but collect salary?

It is a COMPETITION. What about doing something about it this...ist, that...ist or somethingelse..ist fashion. I do not care about the label. What about - as an example - keeping our own production good enough? We did that in the face of stiff competition in the autoindustry with europe, Iapan, Korea quite well, instead playing the doormat. Like in this case.

They were found sleeping on this. What else these bright ones sleep on?

And if you found me acerbic, they deserve it in spades.

No. I recently read an article about China slowly and quietly buying up lease rights to land, holding rare earth minerals, and also metals across the entire African continent. They are very shrewd about how they go about it. They spread around a relatively small amount of money, combined with building a few roads and schools. In exchange, they get 30-40 year mining rights. They are buying no land, just mining rights. When the minerals and metals are depleted, they will simply pull up stakes and leave.

I don't think we can break their stranglehold when they are spending money around the world to insure that it continues. They also don't share our ethical or environmental concerns when it comes to stripping other countries of their natural resources.

"They (China) also don't share our ethical or environmental concerns when it comes to stripping other countries of their natural resources."

Mostly agreed. This disregard for the environment in China (I'm not sure about other countries) is a contributor to the lower out of pocket cost of production; thus, the low sell price that has been established. These low prices made other REM mines unprofitable, and they were shuttered.

So, with a near monopoly in hand, China wises up and restricts exports (choking world supply, but enabling their own blossoming electronics industries), and the global prices of raw materials and finished electronic goods rise. The Chinese finished goods now look even better due to lower sell prices. Gee, what should we call the Chinese practice of protecting their economy? How about Protectionism.

With these export restrictions, high prices and high demand, it becomes more feasible (for those outside China) to extract the metals from other known sources.

"I can't even be mad at them...............it's a brilliant strategy."

Right on, brother! Your entire comment is on the mark (as it were)! GA

GA Mark.

One needs a pure stone to create a brilliant. Their "racism" ^{(note these" ")} has succeeded on many fronts. This was a long time coming and many of our large companies are in joint ventures and close bonds have been created. It has and will always cut both ways.

In general I find the thought of acting aggressively abhorrent. They are definitely not a paper tiger. Like I said, abhorrent.

Just look at their arts, now and then, thousands of years ago. Look at Shanghai, it's the 21st century in full swing. Not only do they have power but good taste as well, mostly.

Nuff said, Ky.

Interesting comment by Chinese ambassador, Wu Zexian at the end of that article;

"Congo was ready to offer cooperation with anyone who came here to invest - any others could have come but they did not ask. We just took up the offer which was there."

Though I suppose it seems totally unfair if you're accustomed to being given free land and tax breaks for 'bringing your business' into a place. Or perhaps accustomed to sending in your troops to set up a puppet government 'in debt' to you, so you can monopolise the resources.

I wonder what the Chinese equivalent of MacDonald's or KFC is?

_{GA BTW}

You don't have to drive far in the US to find a Chinese restaurant.

Usually good stuff too.

Americanized Chinese cuisine is pretty good most times, but Thai is much much better!

Whatever happened to developing the mineral deposits recently found in Afghanistan by US Geologists? Some of the richest rare earth metal deposits ever found on the planet....or did the Chinese gobble-up these rights as well?

Oh well, until the Taliban threat is finally taken care of, the USA won't be developing those resources....

China has been developing long term relationships for many hundreds of years, albeit with pauses as local changes have discouraged them. But over the last few decades the writing has been on the wall and in the West we have let them have their way.

It now behoves us to play catchup in Australia, Bolivia and wherever else we may find these materials - we cannot let one country, China, have the entire market.

But we have to move and move quickly.

Sleepy

Maybe send these guys back in?

34point5

a brilliant idea!!!

Thanks

Sleepy

Maybe not

Oh, come on Ky. The way to reduce a country to rubble is via addiction. It naturally draws an expensive repressive response from government, along with a exponential increase in 'ineffective work force', massive 'infighting', irrational blame game based in who is getting more of what pie!, followed by a rebellion and total chaos.

_{Oh, hang on ...}

How about vaccinations then?

And PURE AUSSIE CROCKFAT. (Gator Oil)

There is so much to do

Hind-sight is always 20/20! If we hadn't given air support to China back in '39-'41 and let the Japanese have their way with them, I don't think we would be having this conversation now. It seems like the Western World supplies the technology and the Eastern Countries make counterfeit copies and then throws it back in our faces.

The first bit is assessable to anyone with the historical interest - but you go thereafter to illogical dogma. The US taught the rest of the world about clandestine interference - the rest of the world learned the lessons and now 'throw that back in your faces'.

It's not much more complex than that.

Go back further and you will find China as the leader in scientific discovery and technological advancement for hundreds of years. Rome the same. Greece, the same. Egypt. the same. The Circle turns. Unless you pull your fingers out and get back to a bit of 'hard work', instead of fighting among yourselves - the 'Golden Era" of the US will be written as a half century blip, in the annals of history.

But, it is after all, an 'instant gratification' world nowadays - as 'somebody' decided it should be, 'foresight' infotainment wise.

Yep, it all comes in waves

Not to lose all hope...on Prince of Wales Island, almost next door to me, the Bokan Mine may gear up soon. It is near the old Ross Adams uranium mine, but richer in rare earths. If I were a heavy equipment mechanic, I would be looking for a job in that operation.

Tornado,

The first positive message that I have heard, go to it.

Sleepy