Japan says China to resume exports of rare earths

That stinky stuff flowing down the Japanese government's leg? It's called relief.

That stinky stuff flowing down the Japanese government's leg? It's called relief.

More and more your comments are getting over the top, Smith. At least try to keep some objectivity.

Are they getting worried about Mongolia developing and selling rare earths with Japanese aid?

roomtemperature: "More and more your comments are getting over the top, Smith. At least try to keep some objectivity."

It's not about objectivity, though I'll grant you my comment was rather graphic and immature. But you cannot deny there must be a major sigh of relief from the government to the business world.

But you cannot deny there must be a major sigh of relief from the government to the business world.

Japan has enough rare earths in stock. Maybe they might be relieved by the fact they can keep it in stock. Anyway, no reason for the government or businesses to feel stressed.

Sounds just like when the GoJ say that they see signals of recovery in the economy for the last 20 years. So the majority of the population take their words with a pinch of salt.

Japan has enough stock, like others have said. No need to import it from China as China needs to use RE for its domestic demand.

Time for resource poor Japan to munch off of Mongolia and others.

Japan should absolutely get a new source and supplier.

From a price perspective, obtaining RE from other sources will be interesting.

China will drop the prices, since they have a virtual monopoly. Chief beneficiaries will be Chinese companies, foreign companies based in China, and probably the United States and Europe.

Japan is on it's own.

mushroomcloud, Japan needs to take this to the WTO.

At some point the Chinese government will start to listen to all the Chinese companies that depend on components using rare earths that only Japanese can make. If these components stop arriving: the end. Only nationalists are sold on the idea China doesn't need anyone.

Yuriotani,

Yes, Japan can, but it will be hard to win, because the Chinese govt is not 'officially' sanctioning the RE exports, and can make the argument that they are trying to conserve these commodities to prevent depletion of a non-renewable natural resource, and, that there is the environment to protect (I know, laughable).

That said, Japan has stated loudly that they will obtain RE from Vietnam, Canada, Mongolia, the United States, etc.

Problem solved, right?

refuse the shipments and invest in other tech or resources

mushroomcloud, the Chinese government is behind cutting off the exports. There is no excuse for what is happening. Their lies are so easy to see through. A big reason never to trust any agreement from China. While there are other sources, this still leaves the Japanese firms in China. Will the Japanese firms be able to move their production equipment out of China?

Yes, Yuriotani, the Chinese govt is behind the cuts of exports, just not 'officially' (publically).

It's probable that Japanese firms in China can swim in rare earth.

"China produces 97% of the global supply of rare earth"

China produces the majority of the rare earth mainly because of lower cost and neglecting the environmental pollution. However, China has approximately 30 percent of the global supply. Japan, U.S. and other industrial nations has to look at alternative rare earth sites, such as Idaho, Montana, Canada, Australia and other places where mining of rare earth can be processed competitively.

The move by Chinese govement does not promote small step in trust. This is a typical of true color behavior by China by thinking small. There will always have periodic political incidents between two countries, and are you going to change rules a weather each time it happens? Chinese goverment has to look beyond that and look at the implications. This decision shows how insecure they are. Japan is a leading trade partner that helped Chinese economy and you cannot sell RE? How ridiculous. Chinese govenment has to be more consistant. Maybe they cannot get out of the shell.

its like playing with a child

Nigelboy and 888naff have a point. China is acting in a small fashion, especially with the Nobel Peace Prize winner, among other things.

China is the 2nd largest economy in the world, nuclear power and a permanent UNSC member. It was the only nation that saved the world from financial collapse in 2008, and has 'loaned' trillions of dollars to American and Western Europe, to keep both regions affloat. Further, China is the only nation still posting double digit growth rates. Yet still, when China gets pissed off, she reacts in a very drastic fashion. Hopefully, as China becomes more comfortable with her rise, she will act in a way that would encourage other nations to follow her leadership as opposed to feeling threatened by her actions.

That's funny. I agree with everything mushroomcloud said. Bite my tongue. All the same, make sure to separate the government from the people, who I have always found very kind, friendly, and interested in Japan. Last I was in China it was before the island incident, and I'm not scheduled to go until late next year. By that time, all of this will probably have blown over. Also, I do hear that Japamese companies in China can avail themselves of rare earths, so it may be a ploy to get more Japanese companies into China, and the accompanying technology transfer. But Japanese have already started developing and announced rare earth-free eco-friendly technologies.

if you all care to know a little about the rare earths industry, please suss out the series in New York times. it appears China has since moved on from simply mining the stuffs , their technology regarding rare earth is quite advanced .