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China shrinks rare earths export quota

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The758

Yeah right - since when has China been concerned with the environment?

since when has most people on earth is concerned about environment? are you? if you are, then i hope you are riding bikes and not vehicles.

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... China is cutting its exploration, production and exports out of environmental concerns

Yeah right - since when has China been concerned with the environment?

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Rare Earths though are different. China is realistically, the only source of this material, that is required for a lot of industrial components.

Rare earth minerals are found in various parts of the world. Huge deposits in Australia, Canada, US and elsewhere. Japan is entering agreement with Australia to supply 8500 tonnes rare earth annually for the next 10 years, US mines for rare earth are considering re-opening. S.Korea working with Burma (Myanmar) to provide global rare earth supplies. Another contender is Vietnam. It happen at the moment China is present world's largest supplier (not largest deposits). The surging domestic demand for the minerals coupled with the indiscriminate mining led China to restrict its export. I believe the Chinese would love to get every dollar for its export, but not at the expense of its environment.

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Countries having uranium minerals have the right not to sell to those they do not want to. Australia is now selling iron ore to China 3 times the price before the price of iron ore soars.

You are talking about 2 very different things. Uranium is subject to much, much stricter controls. You simply cannot export it to anyone you want, except in very, very limited quantities. Iron though is common. Australia could charge whatever they want, and it wouldn't matter, because there are so many other providers, one of them could simply pick up the slack. Rare Earths though are different. China is realistically, the only source of this material, that is required for a lot of industrial components. The reasons don't matter, but China, by simply cutting its exports, is at the very least bending the WTO rules, if not breaking them.

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China can do as it pleases, what business is it of the US that they think they can cry foul and complain to the WTO?

Under WTO rules, a government cannot just interfere with internatinal business matters on a whim. The same reason a government cannot just slap tariffs on imported goods.

Before being invited in, China desperately wanted to be in WTO, so it can enjoy trading under WTO protection. Now China has to follow the rules.

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This is a fair competitive world. Uranium is even more rare than rare earth minerals. Countries having uranium minerals have the right not to sell to those they do not want to. Australia is now selling iron ore to China 3 times the price before the price of iron ore soars. China did not whinge. Other countries such as the US has ample supply of rare earth minerals except the local laws such as environmental forced local production price up. Whereas in china, such environmental laws are slow to promulgate and hence price are much cheaper. As a bystander, it is unfair to see China being slammed when its relationship with Japan rocks a bit. Price of products using rare earth minerals should go up accordingly and buyers wouldn't whinge.

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"The United States last week threatened to go to the World Trade Organization with its concerns over China and rare earths."

China can do as it pleases, what business is it of the US that they think they can cry foul and complain to the WTO? If you don't like it, stop depending so much on China.

"China is not using rare earth as a bargaining chip"

Yeah, we all believe that.

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I knew many years ago that China would do this. All countries have been excessively depending on China's because its price is cheaper. There are enormous amount of rare earth minerals all over the world besides China. Better learn it from the mistake.

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My thinking on this, is that the US should slap tariffs on the importation of rare earths, and require that all new items manufactured that require rare earths in their creation must state that they were made using rare earths from China etc. All new items manufactured using Chinses rare earths, should then also have an additional tariff slapped on it. And finally of course, whats least likely to happen. The Obama administration should provide environmental waivers to the rare earth mines in the US so they can get restarted quickly, rather then having to go through the burdensome and unnecessary permitting process.

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