China Targets Rare Earth Export Curbs To Hobble US Defense Industry
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
China is exploring limiting the export of rare earth minerals that are crucial for the manufacture of American F-35 fighter jets and other sophisticated weaponry, according to people involved in a government consultation.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology last month proposed draft controls on the production and export of 17 rare earth minerals in China, which controls about 80 percent of global supply.
Industry executives said government officials had asked them how badly companies in the US and Europe, including defense contractors, would be affected if China restricted rare earth exports during a bilateral dispute.
The government wants to know if the US may have trouble making F-35 fighter jets if China imposes an export ban," said a Chinese government adviser who asked not to be identified. Industry executives added that Beijing wanted to better understand how quickly the US could secure alternative sources of rare earths and increase its own production capacity.
Fighter jets such as the F-35, a Lockheed Martin aircraft, rely heavily on rare earths for critical components such as electrical power systems and magnets. A Congressional Research Service report said that each F-35 required 417kg of rare-earth materials.
[...] China's own rare earth security isn't guaranteed," said David Zhang, an analyst at Sublime China Information, a consultancy. It can disappear when the US-China relationship deteriorates or Myanmar's generals decide to shut the border."
While China's dominance in rare earth mining is under threat, it maintains a near monopoly in the refining process that turns ores into materials ready for manufacturers.
The country controls about four-fifths of global rare earth refining capacity. Ores mined in the US must be sent to China as the US has no refining capacity of its own yet.
Industry executives, however, said China's strength in refining had more to do with its higher tolerance for pollution than any technological edge.
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