Neodymium is vital to produce batteries and electric or hybrid car engines, computer hardware, cell phones, cameras, and its oxide is the basis of the magnets that drive the directional precision missile wings. With europium and yttrium are produced, however, fiber optics and light bulbs with low energy consumption. Scandium is used in stage lighting, while promising in the latest hospital equipment.
are just some of the 17 rare earth elements, those in the periodic table of elements occupy cells in the last few lines. Some of those elements at the base of most promising technologies of our century. The raw materials of the future.
toghether 17 elements from a particular policy: 97% of their total production is in China. Beijing has in his basement for 37% of known reserves, the countries of the former USSR 18%, U.S. 12%, but Russia has the means to extract and America, for twelve years now hand, stopped her in the name of environmental protection (often these elements are combined with radioactive substances and their mines pollute the surrounding waters) and would need another 15 years to turn it back (at costs far higher than in China). So, the big Western multinationals (from Philips to Siemens, from Nokia to Hewlett Packard, Apple Sony Canon) are forced to buy in Beijing.
But China sells less and less and increasingly difficult conditions: in the spring has raised export duties to 25% in July has cut the share of sales abroad by 72%. But the most drastic decision about next year: China will export only 60% of requirements global offering, the remainder going to the multinationals to produce in his home (and corporations in question, the Chinese government accused of stealing methodical know-how of his guests).
In short, it is clear the power and dominance in Beijing on this slice of the market, niche but highly strategic and geopolitical value.
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