Why the U.S. domestic rare earth mining restart?

United States Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Resources Program Director Minot, said recently that the U.S. government has started searching and testing rock mine plan. Geological Survey and the Department of Energy has sent geologists to explore the country from the west of the country all the gold, silver mines have been abandoned gravel and ore samples were collected for testing.

Notably, this is the end of 2010, the United States following the rare earth mine to resume production, the U.S. government plans to start again looking for rare earths. Meanwhile, the U.S. House of Representatives Rules Committee passed the "2013 National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act Act" (hereinafter referred to as the "Act") for consideration and discussion of the General Assembly submitted to the House of Representatives, hoping to accelerate their domestic strategic mineral resources exploitation reduce dependence on Chinese rare earth resources.

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Institute of American Studies Ni Feng, deputy director of the view that "The United States Congress passed the bill reforming the introduction of rare-earth strategy, while the search for rare earth elements within the context of local actions, intended to put pressure on China from the current pattern of rare earth supply and demand Breakout. "

The high cost of mining and milling

It is understood that, according to the "bill" in the exploitation of strategic mineral resources companies to submit an application, the United States approving departments must be made within 30 months of approval not to be unreasonably delaying approval. The debate in the House Rules Committee, the "Act" proponent U.S. House of Representatives, Mr Modi Delaware Republican congressman said, "bill" proposed is based on considerations of national security and economic recovery, and there are nearly 60 members signatures.

The U.S. currently has 19 kinds of non-fuel minerals entirely dependent on imports, the demand for more than 50% dependent on imports of 24 kinds of non-fuel minerals, including a variety of rare earth elements. Meanwhile, in 25 major mineral countries, the U.S. authorities for approval mine exploitation license for the longest time, the "Act" implementation will undoubtedly change this situation.

"United States to expand domestic rare earth mining is mainly due to national security concerns, after all Earlier data show that China holds more than 95% of the global supply of rare earth rare earth is an indispensable strategic resource, U.S. export restrictions in China after growing recognition to the importance of rare earth resources, relying solely on cheap imports from China Rare Earth has become the past, the need to develop their strategic reserves. "Ni Feng said that the earth is often used in new materials, military and other fields, control of rare earth resources, dominance to help the United States for technological development of the industry ahead of the layout.

"On the other hand, it is for commercial reasons because of China's rare earth export quotas to take such control measures, led the international rare earth price fluctuations, the U.S. downstream production enterprises greater impact, the United States hopes to rediscover in the rare earth market pricing discourse right, which also has been advocating in line with its recent 'energy independence' policy. "Ni Feng concluded that U.S. domestic rare earth strategy to restart economic and strategic significance has double value.

However, there are a considerable part of the U.S. Democratic lawmakers on the "Act" expressed doubts, saying that if the approval of the "bill" is likely to accelerate the destruction of the environment, and the high cost of mining and refining of rare earth industry is constrained to resume production of the reasons.

"From the" Act "proposed in the House Rules Committee to get through this process, the United States on Chinese rare earth export management approach does not eliminate concerns to military enterprises, represented by the continuing pressure from interest groups." Ni Feng expressed , although the "Act" is still unknown whether the final implementation, but it is undoubtedly the release of rare earth dependence on China to get rid of this signal. For quell discontent considerations, the U.S. Democratic Party and the Obama administration on the issue of rare earth in China will put more pressure on China to relax Rare management measures.

Intended to suppress the price

In recent years, as China's strict control of rare earth export quotas, soaring international price of rare earth, rare earth minerals from the earth to the product, the price is almost available "surge" to describe. In May 2011 the State Council issued "on the promotion of sustained and healthy development of rare earth industry a number of opinions", the Chinese rare earth prices soaring again, compared to 2008, the rate of increase was more than 500%, the international CCIEE rare earth index also rose nearly 5 year times.

"The U.S. strategy to restart domestic rare earth still in its infancy, even if recovery mining, the scale is not too large, its real purpose is to make the international market high rare earth prices down." Ni Feng admitted that import substitution domestic rare earth mining premise There are two, one exporting country without too many restrictions on the export of rare earth, the second is the relative domestic import prices lower mining costs. When the two can not be met, the United States hoping to restart the local strategic low rare earth market price.

It is understood that the U.S. Pentagon and Toyota worked with two Canadian mining companies - Ucore Rare Metals Ltd and Matamec exploration companies to develop rare earth mine in North America. At the same time, when he was Japanese Foreign Minister Genba Koichiro had also met with successive five Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan's Foreign Minister, promised to give financial support to those countries by way of joint venture plant to develop these former Soviet Union country of rich rare earth mineral resources.


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