China halts rare earth exports to U.S, Europe.

[Dr_Scholl]

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/business/news/20101020p2g00m0bu068000c.html

NEW YORK (Kyodo) -- China's de facto embargo on exports of rare earth minerals that are vital for production of many high-tech goods has expanded beyond Japan to the United States and Europe, the New York Times reported Tuesday on its website.

Chinese customs officials imposed the broader shipment restrictions Monday morning after a few rare earth shipments to the West had been delayed in recent weeks, the Times said, quoting anonymous industry officials.

The revelation comes after a report Tuesday in Beijing that China, which controls almost all of the world's supply of the minerals, is planning to curb export quotas for rare earths in 2011, irking Japanese and U.S. officials.

China has repeatedly denied it has placed any official embargo on rare earth shipments.

On Friday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the U.S. government had initiated an investigation in response to a petition by steel workers that China employs policies that protect and unfairly support its domestic producers of wind and solar energy products.

China's top energy policy maker Zhang Guobao called in reporters Sunday and lashed out at the U.S. move. Hours later Chinese customs official began singling out and delaying rare earth shipments to the West, the Times said.

China's rare earth exports to Japan have stalled in the wake of the heightened bilateral tension over Japan's early September arrest of a Chinese trawler captain over collisions near islands administered by Japan but claimed also by China.

The captain's boat collided on Sept. 7 with Japanese patrol boats near the Senkaku Islands. There have been some signs of thawing diplomatic ties between the two countries since the captain was released and returned to China on Sept. 25.

But Japanese government and industry officials say that the exports have continued to be blocked by China.

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshito Sengoku said Wednesday that the Japanese government has not confirmed whether China has blocked rare earth shipments to the United States and Europe.

However, the top government spokesman said it "appears that the situation remains the same" for the shipments to Japan.

"That is to say that they have been halted," Sengoku said.

(Mainichi Japan) October 20, 2010

[Oswald Bastable]

There's a simple solution to this. Ban all imports of finished Chinese goods into the US.

[l921428x]

Trying not to sound silly, but what is rare earth?

[Oswald Bastable]

Trying not to sound silly, but what is rare earth?

Rare elements used in high technology applications, which China has in abundance.

[El Laton Caliente]

The thirty rare earth elements are composed of the lanthanide and actinide series. One element of the lanthanide series and most of the elements in the actinide series are called trans-uranium, which means synthetic or man-made. All of the rare earth metals are found in group 3 of the periodic table, and the 6th and 7th periods. The Rare Earth Elements are made up of two series of elements, the Lanthanide and Actinide Series.

The Rare Earth Elements are:


Lanthanide Series:
Lanthanum
Cerium
Praseodymium
Neodymium
Promethium
Samarium
Europium
Gadolinium
Terbium
Dysprosium
Holmium
Erbium
Thulium
Ytterbium
Lutetium

Actinide Series:
Actinium
Thorium
Protactinium
Uranium
Neptunium
Plutonium
Americium
Curium
Berkelium
Californium
Einsteinium
Fermium
Mendelevium
Nobelium
Lawrencium



They are used in a lot of specialty applications; electronics/circute boards & chips, lens coatings, solar panels, advanced metalurgy, etc...

[jojo]

I thought that we were invading Afghanistan for it's abundance of rare earth elements.

[El Laton Caliente]

I thought that we were invading Afghanistan for it's abundance of rare earth elements.

Yep and Iraq for the oil... and German & Japan for territory... Viet Nam for... rice?

[insider]

Trying not to sound silly, but what is rare earth?

You know, that band from the 70's!

[sevlex]

China gains a monopoly to manufacture high-tech military grade magnets in 1995 (Bill Clinton anyone?).

What could possibly go wrong?

:coffee:


http://economyincrisis.org/content/amercas-loss-neodymium-magnet-production


America's Loss of Neodymium Magnet Production

by Joshua Sanders on September 15, 2010 - 10:00am

David Cay Johnston, a former New York Times reporter and critic of tax law loopholes, writes in his book, "Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (And Stick You With The Bill)," on how China ended up with a monopoly on the neodymium-boron magnet industry. This interesting and frustrating tale highlights the methods utilized in a globalized “free” market.

Neodymium is a rare earth element that the United States no longer has the capacity to process for manufacturing. Neodymium magnets are used in computer hard drives, smart bombs, wind turbines and hybrid car engines.

Not long ago, the U.S. was a producer of neodymium magnets. Magnequence, a subsidiary of General Motors, used to employ 260 domestic workers for their neodymium-based manufacturing operations.

In 1995 GM decided to sell the division. The deal attracted little attention from the media as it was only a $70 million deal, but it represented the end to yet another manufacturing industry vital to national security. The buyer? Two partially state-owned Chinese companies – San Huan New Material High-Tech Inc. and China National Nonferrous Metals. The heads of these two Chinese companies are the son-in-laws of Deng Xiaoping, a prominent political leader in China at the time.

This is how “free trade” works. General Motors wanted access to the domestic Chinese auto market, but China required something in return: military technology. How trade can be considered free when companies are required to give up national security related technology and their manufacturing capabilities just to be given access to a market is anyone’s guess. But, for General Motors, it was either give up a seemingly insignificant portion of their company or remain exiled from a very profitable Chinese market. GM, in doing simply what was best for their bottom line profits, gave away a viable manufacturing company that was paramount to national security. With no check in place to stop such dangerous sell-offs, American citizens were essentially left to the whims of multinational companies whose sole focus was profits.

Now, China has a monopoly not only on the production of the raw ore from which neodymium is derived, but also on the processing technologies that produce neodymium, and the manufacturing of neodymium magnets.

We must reverse U.S. tax laws that encourage American corporations to offshore jobs and manufacturing production. China is going to continue to engage in trade practices that intentionally harm U.S. manufacturing, take our companies’ technology and sacrifice our national security. So, we must do all in our power to protect our country and economy from China’s underhanded methods. American companies can no longer look only to short-term profit opportunities. We must focus our investments and spending on future technologies that will provide greater productivity and ensure that America always has a place in the global economy. The shortsightedness and misguided focus of American companies must end.

[mriddick]

I've been saying since 2000, we should use any excuse we can find to stop all imports from China and this one sounds like as good a one as any... Not that obama (or GWB back in 2000) would go along with it.

[Krupski]

Trying not to sound silly, but what is rare earth?

"Rare earth elements" are mostly those in the lanthanide series on the periodic table.

The most common use of rare earth elements are the mega powerful magnets in hard drives. They are also used in lasers, X-Ray machines, chrome-vanadium steel, superconductors, phosphors for different colored fluorescent lamps and CCFL lamps (such as what lights up an LCD computer monitor or TV).

If that's too hard to grasp, I'll put it more simply: If America can't get enough rare earth elements for manufacturing, we won't be able to build a LOT of our high-tech devices (and the ones we DO build will skyrocket in price).

I thought way back when we were "killin' a commie for mommy"... now we kneel down and suck them. WTF???????

[Dr. Gonzo GED]

I thought way back when we were "killin' a commie for mommy"... now we kneel down and suck them. WTF???????
On the upside, this is the kind of shit that gets wars started. Even China can't stand against a world united. Though I'm sure Bejing thinks it could.

[Dr_Scholl]

On the upside, this is the kind of shit that gets wars started. Even China can't stand against a world united. Though I'm sure Bejing thinks it could.

They'd get a rude awakening if they tried going toe to toe with the U.S military. Especially a naval conflict.

[Meat-Hook]

Chicoms are sucking Africa dry of its resources.

*************
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/zambia/8073443/Zambian-miners-shot-by-Chinese-managers.html


Zambian miners shot by Chinese managers

A backlash against China's powerful presence in the Zambian economy has been triggered by an incident in which 11 miners were shot by Chinese managers.

By Aislinn Laing in Johannesburg
Published: 6:08PM BST 19 Oct 2010

Vincent Chenjela was injured when managers fired randomly at the workers protesting against poor working conditions
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.

A Foreign Ministry official in Beijing said that the shooting was a "mistake" but the incident has fuelled demands to curb China's overwheening position in mine investments.
The Patriotic Front, a leading opposition party, is campaigning for elections next year on platform of restricting Chinese investment until conditions are improved.
"We know we can't be protected by this government because it has been heavily corrupted by the Chinese for the 2011 elections and the current by-elections," said Michel Sata, the PF's leader nicknamed King Cobra for his combatative stance.
Madinda Siamubotu, a victim of the shooting said the miners had been told that they would not be paid for days when they had been ordered to stop mining because enough coal had been produced.
He said that when workers gathered outside the gates of the mine to protest at the unexpected pay cut, the managers walked out of their offices with shotguns and opened fire.
A witness to the incident said miners had thrown rocks before the shooting started.
Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) president Rayford Mbulu said the latest incident illustrated the reckless disregard for employee at Chinese facilities.
"We don't care what investments people bring in the country," he said. "Workers should be protected.
We want to be informed that these suspects have been brought to book. They should leave our country."
Xiao Li Shan, 48, and Wu Jiu Hua, 46, both supervisors at the Collum Coal Mine, appeared briefly in court yesterday charged with attempted murder and were remanded in custody.
China invested more than £250m in its mining industry last year, as well as providing funds to improve the country's infrastructure. and reportedly helped the ruling party to get re-elected.
Its investment in Zambia is replicated all over Africa, where leaders have lauded China for its "no strings attached" approach to aid and investment.

[gpwasr10]

There's a simple solution to this. Ban all imports of finished Chinese goods into the US.

I second, now shall we put it to a vote?

[insider]

We can all change our names to Dong and move to China.
Did you know China has a Walmart? Did you know China wouldn't let Walmart open a store there unless it's employees were Unionized?

[HDR]

China cuts us off and what do we do in response?

[MDE]

How long could China last if we refused all imports? Would it cause major economic problems in about a week?

Mike

[matshock]

China cuts us off and what do we do in response?

Bow.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

Yep and Iraq for the oil... and German & Japan for territory... Viet Nam for... rice?

THANK YOU! We always been an imperialist country haven't we? Geez You gotta wonder why we spent do much mney rebuilding those we destroy.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

This should scare people with minds. They are the enemy who we financed, now they are starting on the road......

[Krupski]

We can all change our names to Dong and move to China.
Did you know China has a Walmart? Did you know China wouldn't let Walmart open a store there unless it's employees were Unionized?

This is the honest truth... about 15 years ago there was a student at my university named "Ding Dong". I don't know if 'Ding" was his first or last name... but his name was...... honest to God... "Ding Dong". :lool:

[American Rage]

China is planning to rule the electronics world. And soon.

We've given them the tech, now they're cutting of the rare earth metals supply.

I first heard of this around the time of the obummer's election.

Fact is that there are some supre rare metals that are needed for computer electronics.

Unfortunately, many if not most of them are only found in China.

Look for China to soon make a large leap in computers and thier military.


Rage

[chiak47]

They'd get a rude awakening if they tried going toe to toe with the U.S military. Especially a naval conflict.

We are buying them a navy with all the shit we don't need.