China Restricting Exports - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Pinner · 10-20-2010, 09:19 AM

China to create world wide shortage of rare earths ?

Quote:

Beijing said last year it would cut rare earths exports to conserve supplies and curb environmental damage from mining. Those plans are being closely watched by industrial customers in Japan, the United States and Europe that need them to produce mobile phones, batteries and other products

Quote:

China has about 30 percent of global rare earths deposits but accounts for about 97 percent of production. The United States, Canada and Australia have rare earths but stopped mining them in the 1990s as lower-cost Chinese supplies became available.

Seems Japan has been cut off from it's supply of rare earth metals for a month now.

Quote:

Japanese companies say Beijing has blocked rare earths shipments to Japan since Sept. 21 after a Chinese fishing boat captain was detained near disputed islands.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=11923509

CaptainCrunch · 10-20-2010, 09:23 AM

Well that just goes along with China's restricting of Imports and stealing patents.

When you have the money and trade hammer, you can do what you want.

flamesfever · 10-20-2010, 10:09 AM

Canadian geologists will just have to spend more time, up in the NWT, scouring those pegmatite dykes.

Pinner · 10-20-2010, 10:28 AM

Relying on China for 97% of the worlds supply seems, well, stupid.

I was surprised, as I was when I realized how much debt they own as well.

J pold · 10-20-2010, 10:40 AM

China has the world by the balls right now. When the People's Bank of China raised their benchmark lending rate yesterday worldwide markets went into a tail spin while the SSE Composite Index made gains (albeit sightly). Than of course you have them sending the rest of the world into a currency war.

FlameOn · 10-20-2010, 10:41 AM

What are we going to do without our buckyballs??
http://www.getbuckyballs.com/

They'll find some better way of recycling to get the metals we need. Only reason China's cornered the market on rare earths is they have so lax safety regs.

VladtheImpaler · 10-20-2010, 11:18 AM

I think this is just China teaching Japan a lesson due to their ongoing spat over maritime borders and possession of "islands" near said border. Japan arrested the Chinese captain of a "fishing" boat that allegedly rammed a Japanese patrol boat about a month ago. This is just a political spat...

Pinner · 10-20-2010, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I think this is just China teaching Japan a lesson due to their ongoing spat over maritime borders and possession of "islands" near said border. Japan arrested the Chinese captain of a "fishing" boat that allegedly rammed a Japanese patrol boat about a month ago. This is just a political spat...

They are reducing exports world wide, as well as scraping with Japan.

VladtheImpaler · 10-20-2010, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pinner

They are reducing exports world wide, as well as scraping with Japan.

Sure, but this mostly aimed at Japan and Japan's backer (US). Of course, it's for "environmental" reasons - they don't want to be too crass about it.

Sluggo · 10-20-2010, 02:15 PM

The article fails to mention that these rare earth minerals are key in the production of electric/hybrid vehicles. It could be tough to buy a Prius in a few months if this spat is more than diplomatic posturing.

Agamemnon · 10-20-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

Sure, but this mostly aimed at Japan and Japan's backer (US). Of course, it's for "environmental" reasons - they don't want to be too crass about it.

Well it's probably naive to think its all about a fishing boat captain (who's been returned weeks ago) also. This is about larger currency/trade issues between China & the US.

VladtheImpaler · 10-20-2010, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Agamemnon

Well it's probably naive to think its all about a fishing boat captain (who's been returned weeks ago) also. This is about larger currency/trade issues between China & the US.

No, nobody gives a fata about the captain - read my post. It's about the border dispute, control of seabed mineral rights, prestige, etc. It's a VERY big deal to China. I don't think China will do much against the US until (if) the US imposes some sort of economic sanctions due to the currency manipulation issue...

HOZ · 10-20-2010, 05:55 PM

Time to put down the cell phone, computers and anything with a touch screen and go back to pen, paper and smoke signals

Huntingwhale · 10-20-2010, 06:33 PM

HOZ · 10-20-2010, 08:47 PM

Want to work for the Chinese?
Related stories
Hitchens How China has created a new slave empire in Africa

The diggers feared - and their evil, sinister bosses had worked hard on that fear - that if people like me publicised their filthy way of life, then the mine might be closed and the $3 a day might be taken away.
I can give you no better explanation in miniature of the wicked thing that I believe is now happening in Africa.
Out of desperation, much of the continent is selling itself into a new era of corruption and virtual slavery as China seeks to buy up all the metals, minerals and oil she can lay her hands on: copper for electric and telephone cables, cobalt for mobile phones and jet engines - the basic raw materials of modern life.
It is crude rapacity, but to Africans and many of their leaders it is better than the alternative, which is slow starvation.

The Congolese risk their lives digging through mountains of mining waste looking for scraps of metal ore

It is my view - and not just because I was so nearly killed - that China's cynical new version of imperialism in Africa is a wicked enterprise.
China offers both rulers and the ruled in Africa the simple, squalid advantages of shameless exploitation.
For the governments, there are gargantuan loans, promises of new roads, railways, hospitals and schools - in return for giving Peking a free and tax-free run at Africa's rich resources of oil, minerals and metals.
For the people, there are these wretched leavings, which, miserable as they are, must be better than the near-starvation they otherwise face.

And Zambian Miners shot by Chinese Managers
Police said that the Chinese executives opened fire on workers protesting against poor pay and conditions at the Collum coal mine in the southern Sinazongwe province on Friday.

Eleven people were admitted to hospital with wounds to the stomachs, hands and legs, and two are understood to remain in a critical condition.

Shazam · 10-20-2010, 08:55 PM

Rare earths aren't rare.

People know that, right?