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| -Signs, Portents, and the Weather- |
| World faces hi-tech crunch as China eyes ban on rare metal exports |
| 2009-09-09 |
| Beijing is drawing up plans to prohibit or restrict exports of rare earth metals that are produced only in China and play a vital role in cutting edge technology, from hybrid cars and catalytic converters, to superconductors, and precision-guided weapons. A draft report by ChinaÂ’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has called for a total ban on foreign shipments of terbium, dysprosium, yttrium, thulium, and lutetium. Other metals such as neodymium, europium, cerium, and lanthanum will be restricted to a combined export quota of 35,000 tonnes a year, far below global needs. |
| Posted by:3dc |
| #1 Imagine that, a country making sure they have what THEY need first, then exporting the surplus. Making sure THEIR people have jobs before sending the work to another country. Spin this all you want, but a |
| Posted by: Jeremiah Omineck3714 2009-09-09 15:21 |