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US Vulnerable to China Rare Earth Monopoly, Researchers Find; These metals with unique properties make them essential ingredients in the production of high tech products
Epoch Times ^ | 07/05/2020 | BY ALAN MCDONNELL

Posted on 07/05/2020 11:36:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

The Chinese communist regime is ready—and willing—to use the country’s near monopoly in rare earth elements (REEs) as a trump card in any trade war with the United States, according to China policy analysts.

A report out this week from independent strategic consultants Horizon Advisory indicates that China is moving to take advantage of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus crisis to wrest control of strategic markets. Furthermore, Beijing’s fusion of its military and civil spheres—combined with its near-monopoly in rare earths—could make this market the Unites States’ Achilles heel.

According to China scholar and Horizon Advisory co-founder, Emily de La Bruyère, Beijing aims to make the United States directly and indirectly dependent on China for critical minerals and REEs.

REEs are difficult-to-recover metals with unique properties that make them essential ingredients in the production of state-of-the-art batteries, electromagnets, weapon systems, night-vision scopes, and other hi-tech products. According to the Department of the Interior, the United States is heavily reliant on imports of these critical mineral commodities—and in particular on imports from China.

“The PRC has been focused on rare earths for as long as it has existed,” de La Bruyère told The Epoch Times in a statement. “Chinese sources explicitly treat rare earths as tools of power—and coercion—in today’s globalized industrial system. This orientation rests on China’s military-civil fusion strategy: Beijing weaponizes integration into open, cooperative global systems for offensive ends. The United States, its allies, and its partners need jointly to recognize as much and respond, to scale.”

China’s Rare Earth Leverage

According to an earlier report from the Horizon team on the CCP’s efforts to subvert U.S. recovery investment, the Chinese regime views the CCP virus crisis as “an opportunity; a chance to expand its position in U.S. markets, supply chains, and critical infrastructure.”

(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; emilydelabruyere; horizonadvisory; monopoly; rareearth
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1 posted on 07/05/2020 11:36:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Golly gee! I wonder how that happened?


2 posted on 07/05/2020 11:39:16 AM PDT by dljordan
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To: SeekAndFind

And folks are shocked by this ?


3 posted on 07/05/2020 11:39:38 AM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: SeekAndFind
US Vulnerable to China Rare Earth Monopoly

This is news to whom?

4 posted on 07/05/2020 11:40:23 AM PDT by Fightin Whitey
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To: SeekAndFind

at least they have finally started to let more companies here mine for rare earth elements in the usa.


5 posted on 07/05/2020 11:41:58 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: dljordan
Golly gee! I wonder how that happened?

Most of us agree, fake surprise because we have over-regulation by idiot bureaucrats driven by liberal environmentalists. We have all the rare earth minerals we need. Bureaucrats won't let us mine them. But... they allowed a Chinese company to take over existing mines here in the USA! The Chinese are laughing their heads off at us.

6 posted on 07/05/2020 11:44:33 AM PDT by roadcat
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To: SeekAndFind

Want to lose a near-monopoly? Screw around and find out how.


7 posted on 07/05/2020 11:44:51 AM PDT by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan)
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To: Secret Agent Man

How much Rare Earth does the U.S. have? Never hear about it. What are the chances of growing the capacity?


8 posted on 07/05/2020 11:45:17 AM PDT by WVNan
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To: WVNan

We have the supply but the always-nitwit environMENTALists have stopped us mining them.


9 posted on 07/05/2020 11:47:31 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp???)
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To: hal ogen

Let us call the issue to the President’s attention.


10 posted on 07/05/2020 11:49:32 AM PDT by WVNan
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To: WVNan

part of our problem is govt has not allowed companies to go after them here, there was basically just one company that did the mining. just recently they permitted another company to begin.

we have some good areas govt has just kept us from digging for them


11 posted on 07/05/2020 11:49:39 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man
at least they have finally started to let more companies here mine for rare earth elements in the usa.

The Mountain Pass mine in California once supplied most of the world's rare-earth elements. Shut down because of environmentalists. Now re-opened, will be producing output in 2020. Majority owned by a hedge fund, and a Chinese company owns a 9.9% stake. So even though some companies are starting to mine here in the USA, the Chinese are involved in them.

12 posted on 07/05/2020 11:51:10 AM PDT by roadcat
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To: Secret Agent Man

How do we get the issue to the Republicans as something that needs to be “fixed”?


13 posted on 07/05/2020 11:51:32 AM PDT by WVNan
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To: roadcat

you knpw feinstein and pelosi were responsible for making sure the chinese had a cut in this


14 posted on 07/05/2020 11:52:15 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: roadcat

“The Chinese are laughing their heads off at us”.

A point Trump has been making for many many years. And, one of the more powerful motivators for him deciding to run for president.


15 posted on 07/05/2020 11:52:19 AM PDT by ocrp1982
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To: SeekAndFind

Not a big deal. We actully have more than enough REE in Califoria. We have been sitting them and buyin from China because their production cost is much lower and the process is very messy.


16 posted on 07/05/2020 11:54:32 AM PDT by billyboy15
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To: WVNan

they only care when an issue becomes hot

best way is to form groups and put pressure on them, get some well known names on your side and send them quotes

squeaky wheel

commies and libtards do this all the time, and media helps them

only diff is we won’t have normal media helping because they are commie libs themselves


17 posted on 07/05/2020 11:54:34 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

If they reopened a mine that probably means that President Trump has been working on the issue. He is amazing at deflecting while the world is focused on something else. I wouldn’t play card with him.


18 posted on 07/05/2020 11:54:47 AM PDT by WVNan
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To: SeekAndFind

Help is on the way:

https://news4sanantonio.com/news/local/local-company-blue-line-wants-to-help-us-become-less-reliant-on-china-for-rare-earths


19 posted on 07/05/2020 11:57:40 AM PDT by decal (I'm not rude, I don't suffer fools is all.)
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To: WVNan

he knows it’s a national security issue


20 posted on 07/05/2020 11:57:51 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not Averse to Going Bronson.)
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