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| China-Japan-Koreas |
| China Is Said to Halt Exports to U.S. of Some Key Minerals |
| 2010-10-19 |
| China, which has been blocking shipments of crucial minerals to Japan for the last month, has now quietly halted shipments of some of those same materials to the United States and Europe, three industry officials said on Tuesday. The Chinese action, involving rare earth minerals that are crucial to manufacturing many advanced products, seems certain to further ratchet up already rising trade and currency tensions with the West. Until recently, China typically sought quick and quiet accommodations on trade issues. But the interruption in rare earth supplies is the latest sign from Beijing that Chinese officials are willing to use their growing economic muscle. “The embargo is expanding” beyond Japan, said one of the three rare earth industry officials, all of whom insisted on anonymity for fear of business retaliation by Chinese authorities. They said Chinese customs officials imposed the broader shipment restrictions Monday morning, hours after a top Chinese official had summoned international news media Sunday night to denounceUnited States trade actions. China mines 95 percent of the world’s rare earth elements, which have broad commercial and military applications, and are vital to the manufacture of diverse products including large wind turbines and guided missiles. Any curtailment of Chinese supplies of rare earths is likely to be greeted with alarm in Western capitals, particularly because Western companies are believed to keep much smaller stockpiles of rare earths than Japanese companies do. China’s commerce ministry has repeatedly denied that it has imposed an embargo on shipments to Japan, even though Japanese ministers and industry executives say the shipments to their country have been systematically blocked by Chinese customs officials since Sept. 21. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #8 Dig here, Dig now. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2010-10-19 21:57 |
| #7 If technology can get 33 miners plus six rescuers up 600 meters from below the ground, out in a remote desert - technology should be able to get a rare earth mine back into production fairly quickly, if the government works to make it possible, instead of working against it. Unfortunately, our government exists to inhibit, not to enable. Sad state of affairs. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2010-10-19 21:35 |
| #6 ION SINA, CHINESE MIL FORUM > TAIWAN'S LI DENG HUI: DAOYUTAI ISLAND [JAPAN Senkakus = CHIN DAOYUS = Taiwan DAOYUTAI] BELONG TO JAPAN. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-10-19 20:44 |
| #5 See also FREEREPUBLIC > BUSINESS INSIDER > THE GREAT GAME: CURRENCY WAR IS [only]THE START OF A 21st CENTURY STRUGGLE FOR RESOUIRCES, espec between the US + China. ARTIC = RISING CHINA'S only real leverage at this time vee the US is its RARE-EARTH MINERAL RESERVES. GRAPH OF US-VS-CHINA OIL CONSUMPTION + IMPORTS indics that the Years 2017-2021 time frame may mark the beginning of a LT PERIOD/WAVE OF US-CHINA GEOPOL CONFRONTATION POSSIBLY INCLUDING MIL CLASHES OR WARS??? Lest we fergit, VARIOUS NET = CHINA itself says it RARE-EARTH RESERVES MAY RUN OUT IN CIRCA 15-20 YEARS [2025-2030] AT CURRENT PRODUCTION RATES. IOW, RISING CHINA = akin to sovereign independent REPUBLIC OF NAURU [Pacific Island State] that is starting to run low on PHOSPHATE [aka BIRD, BAT GUANO/FERTILIZER]??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-10-19 20:41 |
| #4 But the thingmabob that does the job is bippity-boppity-boo |
| Posted by: PrivateEye 2010-10-19 19:32 |
| #3 I wonder how many other vulnerabilities we have created because it was cheaper to outsource to China. |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2010-10-19 19:31 |
| #2 The US has these minerals; we just shut the mines down because it was cheaper and more expedient to get them from China. But if China won't sell, we can re-open the mines. We'll have to; not even Obama's EPA can stop that. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-10-19 18:46 |
| #1 Having sold them the noose, we should not be surprised when it begins to tighten. Get used to this sort of thing, you'll be seeing it a lot from China. Pro TIP: Bowing will help you to get to the front of the line of supplicants. |
| Posted by: gromky 2010-10-19 17:30 |