China Threatens to Kill Exports of Rare Earth Supply

Commodities & Metals

Published: May 29, 2019 4:21 am

Last Updated: January 6, 2020 4:17 am

In the Peoples Daily, a medium controlled by the Chinese government, editors warned that the export of “rare earth elements” could be interrupted. The move was anticipated as part of a trade war between China and the United States.

[in-text-ad]

Geology.com described rare earth elements:

Rare earth elements are a group of seventeen chemical elements that occur together in the periodic table (see image). The group consists of yttrium and the 15 lanthanide elements (lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium). Scandium is found in most rare earth element deposits and is sometimes classified as a rare earth element.

They are used in the manufacture of many consumer electronics products. They are also used in military missiles and GPS devices. China produces more rare earth elements than any other nation. It also has the largest reserves by far, followed by Brazil.

The Peoples Daily wrote:

… if anyone wants to use imported rare earths against China, the Chinese people will not agree.

By making unilateral moves to contain technological development of other countries, the United States seems to have overlooked one fact: the international supply chain is so intertwined that no economy could thrive on its own.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, from 2014 to 2017 the United States imported 80 percent of its rare earth compounds and metals from China.

The tension between the two countries has been ratcheted up again.

24/7 Wall St.
Would China Really Embargo Exports of Rare Earth Metals From US Manufacturers?

Are You Still Paying With a Debit Card?

The average American spends $17,274 on debit cards a year, and it’s a HUGE mistake. First, debit cards don’t have the same fraud protections as credit cards. Once your money is gone, it’s gone. But more importantly you can actually get something back from this spending every time you swipe.

Issuers are handing out wild bonuses right now. With some you can earn up to 5% back on every purchase. That’s like getting a 5% discount on everything you buy!

Our top pick is kind of hard to imagine. Not only does it pay up to 5% back, it also includes a $200 cash back reward in the first six months, a 0% intro APR, and…. $0 annual fee. It’s quite literally free money for any one that uses a card regularly. Click here to learn more!

Flywheel Publishing has partnered with CardRatings to provide coverage of credit card products. Flywheel Publishing and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.