US Gets Moving On Rare Earths

It looks like the United States has finally decided to try and break China’s grip on the supply of Rare Earth Elements after global concerns were raised of the Red country’s monopoly.

The subcommittee’s agenda is simple – to establish without doubt whether the US faces a shortage crunch on the REE front, and if so, to initiate research into areas of potential alternatives to rare earth. It will question witnesses about the needs for rare earth minerals and the opportunities to produce more in the United States. The US has the second-largest concentrated rare earth deposit after China. Of late, reports that China’s monopoly on the supply of the all-crucial REE required in defence and consumer needs, could prove to be detrimental to the rest of the world. The US lawmakers will look at Chinese monopoly among other issues like re-starting some mines in the US and the western world.