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The United States says it will take "unprecedented actions" to ensure the supply of strategic elements and rare earths, as China mulls possible export controls for materials that are critical to modern technology.
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In December 2017, Trump called on the Department of Commerce and other US agencies to develop new sources of critical materials to reduce vulnerabilities to supply disruptions, especially from foreign sources.The US report calls for improving supplies "through investment and trade with America's allies," while streamlining the issuance of permits for mining in the United States, including on federal lands.
It also lists a plan to improve mapping and data collection to promote domestic exploration.
And to think only a few short decades ago we were going to war for oil...
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 06 2019, @03:18AM (3 children)
Like what, stealing strategic supplies on the high seas destined to customers of China, or invading those customers to steal them there?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 06 2019, @03:19AM
Nationalized rare earth mines?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 06 2019, @03:23AM (1 child)
A crash program to develop domestic supplies would be unprecedented.
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Thursday June 06 2019, @03:22PM
China itself instituted a crash program to find domestic sources of oil during the Maoist period. One of the original reasons for sending Chinese university students to graduate school in the West was to train them as geologists and petroleum engineers.
It's kind of funny that America would have to do the same with REEs.
Washington DC delenda est.