China starts stockpiling rare earths: report

Article says 90% picture says 97%?

Keep stockpiling. Drive the price up!

China restricting its rare-Earth exports is not unlike the United States refusing to sell helium to Nazi Germany before the war. Its their ace in the hole. They are not just going to give it away.

Europe and the US should start to stockpile commercial airliners. Better for the environment if fewer of them are in the air, ya know..

China restricting its rare-Earth exports is not unlike the United States refusing to sell helium to Nazi Germany before the war. Its their ace in the hole. They are not just going to give it away.

Wouldn't a better example be the US refusing to sell oil to Japan during WW2 before pearl harbor?

Canadian Prospectors rejoice! Financing for your wildest dreams soon available! Yes! Canada most certainly has these products , but will not crash markets by selling them off cheap! Snooker is one of our favourite games! (Hint: North of Athabaska Tar Sands, Finnish mining companies have new concentration processes! James Bay lowlands sedimentary deposits never tested? Clay Belt ?)

let's just hope they use them to shoot more women in space, not to make more iPhones

"For the first time, Japanese explorers have discovered large deposits of rare-earth minerals on the ocean floor within the country’s exclusive economic zone" So,... what's the worry?

Japan recent find of rare earth metals on ocean floor insure Japans requirements for future use in manufacturing high tech products. Wonderful resourcefulness of Japanese geologic engineers have designed plans to mine Rare Earth Metals off the ocean floor. Sakurla Cherry Blossom Happiness for honorable trade partners. Nippon!

Not surprise about China who look for every opportunity to exploit the rest of the world. Or maybe they will use for peaceful medicinal purpose, converting to super food mineral; since China has invented many things these days???

China's rare earths are ...China's.

Anyone going to disagree with that?

Why can't they do what they like with their own rare earths???

China can do what ever it wants with these so called rare earth materials,but at the end of the day, we live connected to one another in a GLOBAL economy, China is NO NORTH KOREA, the Chinese need to trade, they need to buy and to sell to the ENTIRE world, so if they do something stupid, will their trading partners around the world be happy?? Or be pissed off?? This is what it boils down to, not too sure how to say do not burn your bridges in Chinese nor Do not shoot yourself in the foot in Mandarin.

They can do whatever they want with them, just as everyone can decide to do what they want with their own materials and technology. Like not selling them to China, for example.

Scientists are smart, they are always able to find new solutions.. Rare earth, iron ores, crude oil -- all of them are needed directly / indirectly in building hi-tech gadgetry. Crude oil market is manipulated overtly by a certain over-the-counter cartel called OPEC, iron ore market prices are also controlled by a few in Australia & Brazil.. Hence, why the Chinese could not 'manipulate' the rare earth prices ? Did anyone advocate bring the OPEC case to the WTO. As a average consumer, I am not able to gauge how the rare earth prices would directly affect my living standard in a big way.. BUT, I donot mind paying the gas bill with 50% discount if the OPEC is dissolved.