China Battles West Over Control Over World Minerals

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

BEIJING (Worthy News) – China’s battle with the West over control of the world’s critical minerals rapidly escalated Friday after the Communist nation banned the export of production technology for rare earth metals.

Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for use in electric vehicles, wind turbines, electronics, medical devices, and weaponry, where China has a virtual monopoly on refining.

Western countries have tried launching their rare earth processing operations, but that has been complicated by China’s ban on exporting technology to extract and separate the critical materials.

As the world’s top processor of rare earths, China’s commerce ministry has also sought public opinion on its intention to add the technology to its “Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export”

The catalog’s aims include protecting “national security and public interest.”

China has significantly tightened rules guiding exports of several metals this year.

It already introduced export permits for chipmaking materials gallium and germanium in August, followed by similar requirements for several types of graphite since December 1.

Despite difficulties, Europe and the United States scramble to wean themselves off rare earths from China, which accounts for nearly 90 percent of global refined output.

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