Executive Warning:China Dominant in Rare Earth

Michael Silver,Chairman,CEO and President of American Elements,a global manufacturer of engineered and advanced materials,including rare earth metals and chemicals,has been pleading for the establishment of a U.S. strategic metals reserve(SMR).China is currently dominant in the field,with 95% of the world's rare earth production.
In the event of an embargo on rare earth,U.S. manufacturing would grind to a halt.The strategic metals are crucial for everything from televisions and cell phones to fiber optics,computer hard drives,wind turbines,lasers and night vision goggles,as well as radar transmitters and GPS systems in the military realm.
In the past year,the cost of rare earth has risen more than 25-fold.South Korea,Japan,the EU and U.K. have their own plans for national stockpiles.
The military does need to do an assessment of what its needs for rare earth are for six months or a year.Clearly a politically strategic asset,China has command of most of these materials,putting it in the position of being the Middle East of the 21st century,controlling the alternative energy sources,such as solar panels and hybrid batteries,that are so reliant on rare earth,in Mr.Silver's opinion.
The U.S. has only one open pit mine in Mountain Pass,California,which belongs to Molycorp.Molycorp has just sold 12.5 million shares to a Chilean firm,Molibdenos y Metales S.A.,for 390 million dollars-a 13% stake in the company.
American Metals is based in Los Angeles and has manufacturing and warehouse facilities in the U.S.,China,Mexico and the U.K.
Molycorp(MCP)

Shortfall of Rare Earth Elements Persists

Molycorp is the sole producer of rare earth oxides in the Western Hemisphere.The Mountain Pass,California company has reached profitability,and CEO Mark Smith indicates that the condition out of China is driving his company.The supply side is not nearly strong enough to meet the demand both in and outside of China.
We're seeing not just price realisation,but a volume increase as well.We see the demand continuing to climb very rapidly.China cannot produce enough for their own in country needs.
A 30-35,000 ton supply of rare earth is needed per year.Molycorp puts out 5-6,000 tons for its customers.We are fully funded to close the Sumitomo deal,under which Sumitomo Corporation of Japan will provide Molycorp with financing in exchange for a seven year supply of rare earth products.We certainly would like to enter into contracts.
We have to stay focused on our 781 million dollar expansion project.It is the number one priority for every employee in the company.We have to bring that project in on time and within budget.That's what people invested in Molycorp for.
We don't foresee any let up in demand for rare earth elements,Mark Smith noted.The oxides,considered critical by industries such as aerospace and defence,are utilised in diverse applications such as lasers;computer memory;aerospace components;magnets;batteries;and PET Scan detectors,as well as X-ray components.
Molycorp(MCP)

Newsletter Editor Favors Uranium

Mark Skousen,PhD,editor of the Forecasts and Strategies newsletter,has deep concerns about the economy.He believes the U.S. is obviously doing something wrong.We need to unburden business.These are burdens keeping the Great Recession with us.Higher interest rates would get us out of this.
Dr.Skousen,a noted economist and author of the textbook Economic Logic,as well as The Making of Modern Economics,continues his longstanding investment advisory work.He likes the Canadian uranium miner Cameco.This is a great recovery story.Uranium prices fell sharply,but are now stabilising and starting to go back up.China and India plan to expand their nuclear energy assets,and Cameco stands to gain from this,in Dr.Skousen's opinion.
He also favors Spain's Telefonica.Over 70% of this company's business is outside of Spain and Europe,and it pays a 9% dividend.
As for another of his picks,Rare Earth Elements,Mark Skousen says we're gonna take our profits.It's too volatile for a long term holding beyond six months.He will personally keep holding the stock as a speculator,however.
Mark Skousen,who has a doctorate in economics from George Washington University, served in the Central Intelligence Agency from 1972-75 and is also a scholar in Benjamin Franklin studies.
Cameco(CCJ)or TSX:CCO,Rare Earth Elements(REE),Telefonica(TEF)

What Drives Molycorp Minerals

Molycorp Minerals describes itself as the Western Hemisphere's only producer of rare earth oxides.The price of rare earth metals has appreciated markedly recently,and CEO Mark A. Smith says this is largely driven by an increased volume of sales at a time of tight supply and demand.
We really are not seeing any slowdown in China and India.We are right on schedule with our new mine.It is to be fully producing by the end of 2012.
Every person we talk to continues to indicate that China will continue to lower its export quota of rare earth metals.The number of opportunities in this business are more than I've seen in my 24 years in this business,Mr.Smith noted.
China supplies 97% of the world supply of these essential materials,but has been cutting back on exports for some time now.Rare earth metals are used in high tech applications such as fiber optics,lasers and hard disc drives,as well as hybrid vehicles,green energy,national security and water treatment applications.
Molycorp Minerals is headquartered in Greenwood Village,Colorado.
Molycorp Minerals(MCP)

Molycorp To Help Fill The China Gap

Molycorp Minerals is stepping up to the task of revitalising the U.S. rare earth elements industry as China cuts back on its exports of the strategic materials,which are vital to high tech industry and national security.China has an increasing internal demand for the minerals,which is currently at 60% of its production.
Mark Smith,Molycorp's cordial CEO,says there is an absolutely overwhelming demand for these materials.Rare earth processing,setting up the circuits,is a very time-consuming process.Molycorp will proceed carefully and with good chemical engineering.
At its Mountain Pass,California facility,Molycorp has one of the world's largest and richest rare earth deposits.It will take an additional 100-200 million dollars to double production by 2012.So far,20,000 tons per year have been funded.The additional money would come from certain interested parties.We expect to announce some good news in that regard in the next 3-6 months,Mr.Smith indicated.
The U.S. rare earth industry withered as China became the world's dominant producer of the minerals used in everything from cell phones to wind turbines and miltary hardware,a fact now regretted in the halls of Congress.A bill providing for revitalisation of the rare earth industry died in the last session of Congress, when it was passed by the House,but the Senate failed to take it up.The legislation,which authorised loan guarantees for rare earth projects,may be reintroduced in the new Congress.
Molycorp Minerals(MCP)

Scoping The Rare Earth Issue

Chinese dominance of rare earth metal production,and its alleged hoarding of the materials,has drawn the attention of governments and businesses worldwide.There are 17 of the metallic chemicals,which are essential to the manufacture of sophisticated national security and consumer products,such as precision weapons and important information and automotive technology.
Matt Gerthner,senior China analyst at Stratfor,says what is really scaring people is these shortages in the short term.It takes several years to ramp up production of the strategic substances.In the long term,these concerns may start to peter out,since rare earth is found in other places besides China.
Japan has been concerned about access to the metals because it has a territorial dispute with China,but China's monopoly is not forever,Mr.Gerthner believes.
For instance,Japan has recently entered into an agreement with Vietnam to discover and produce the elements.
China has had problems reigning in illegal rare earth mining,which often leaves an enormous black footprint of environmental degradation.In North America,a Vancouver,B.C. firm,Rare Element Resources,Ltd.,is seeking to develop a rare earth mine in Wyoming.
Rare Element Resources,Ltd.(REE)

China Dominates Rare Earth Metals

Please note that this week,in addition to this post,two other posts of global interest have been published in the Extra Content blog.One deals with NATO ally Greece's debt crisis resolution program.The other explores the nature of Chinese naval power in the Asia-Pacific region.You may visit Extra Content by clicking on the link in the right column.
Speaking in Brussels last week,Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was in a defensive mode.He said Europe shouldn't join the call for China to release its currency,the Yuan,from tight control.The problem wasn't with the Yuan,but with the U.S. dollar,Mr.Wen remarked.He also claimed China wasn't using rare earth metals as a bargaining chip with Japan.
There is considerable concern about China's control over the world's rare earth metal supply.China produces more than 90% of the world's rare earth metals.It has cut exports of the metals by 75% this year.The U.S. is considering filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization over possible Chinese hoarding of the metals.
Rare earth metals are used in everything from tanks to iPhones and hybrid cars.The U.S. has only one rare earth metal mine.It could take 15 years for the U.S. to restart its rare earth metal supply chain.There is a bill before Congress to do just that.