Beijing Crackdown Hits Rare Earths Mining
Source: Financial Times, Leslie Hook (8/23/11)
"In recent weeks some of the mines gouged out of hillsides in Jiangxi province have been broken up, others mothballed."
Financial Times, Leslie Hook
The red clay hills of southern China might seem like an unlikely spot for a global tug of war. But that is exactly what is playing out there as Beijing cracks down on the mining of rare earths, the 17 elements crucial for the electronics used in everyday life.
In recent weeks some of the mines gouged out of hillsides in Jiangxi province have been broken up, others mothballed, as Chinawhich controls nearly all the world's rare earths productiontightens environmental rules governing the industry. The move, which will cut supply, will send shivers through the global rare earths supply chain. . . View full article
The red clay hills of southern China might seem like an unlikely spot for a global tug of war. But that is exactly what is playing out there as Beijing cracks down on the mining of rare earths, the 17 elements crucial for the electronics used in everyday life.
In recent weeks some of the mines gouged out of hillsides in Jiangxi province have been broken up, others mothballed, as Chinawhich controls nearly all the world's rare earths productiontightens environmental rules governing the industry. The move, which will cut supply, will send shivers through the global rare earths supply chain. . . View full article