"China has announced a ban on exports of gallium, germanium, antimony, and other high-tech materials to the United States. This decision follows the U.S. expanding export controls on Chinese companies involved in chip-making. The Chinese Commerce Ministry stated it would act to protect China's "rights and interests."
Previously, China required exporters to obtain licenses to ship these key materials to the U.S. The recent U.S. entity list now includes 140 companies, mostly based in China, along with some Chinese-owned firms in Japan, South Korea, and Singapore."
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4282233/posts
China bans export of key minerals to U.S. as trade frictions escalate
OAN ^ | December 3, 2024 | Amy Lv, Ella Cao
Rare Earth minerals are actually quite common. The problem is that refining them is a nasty, low tech, high pollution industry. That is the reason that we don't do the refining in the US. We would rather pay China to pollute China.
In the US, business plans focus on profit. In West Taiwan business plans focus on employment. That is, how many jobs will this produce, and not, is this needed or profitable.
West Taiwan got into refining Rare Earths when it was industrializing and was looking for anything and everything that would grow the national GDP.
SpyNavy
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)