US stopped mining 'rare earths' thinking Communist China would share theirs, now China says its cutting exports

.
Rare earths minerals are needed to produce wind turbines, hybrid cars, and many electronics products. US mines none of its own.

• 12/29/10, "China will cut rare earths export quotas," BBC

"China has said it will cut exports of rare earth minerals by 10% in 2011.

World manufacturers are heavily reliant on China for these minerals, which are

• essential for making many electronic goods, such as TVs and PC monitors.

China has 97% of the world's known supply of the goods. The US mined none last year.

• Rare earth minerals have been a thorny trade topic for some time, and China has previously promised not to cut supplies drastically.

Rare earths are a collection of seventeen chemical elements in the periodic table: scandium, yttrium, and some fifteen lanthanides....

The US last week said it was "very concerned about China's export restraints on rare earth materials, antimony and tungsten" and could

• still file a case on that at the World Trade Organisation.

In September, China blocked exports of rare earths to Japan after a territorial row but later resumed them....

• There uses also include the manufacture of wind turbines and hybrid cars."...

10/27/10, This cutback in rare earths from Communist China has been feared by the US and EU.

• The US opted out of 'rare earths' mining because our environmental and wage laws made it too expensive. Since it is needed to make wind turbines and other 'green' items, it follows the US is in no 'race' for green jobs, as it claims.
  

Inside China's secret toxic unobtainium mine," DailyMailOnline, Jan. 10, 2010

.