Most countries have kept records of their critical mineral lists for decades.
For example, the United States created a list of “war minerals” during World War I. important minerals It could not be found much in Japan and could not be produced in large quantities. They included tin, nickel, platinum, nitrate, and potash.
Since then, with economic growth and innovation, the list of important minerals has expanded significantly.of Energy Act 2020 Define important minerals as follows:
“Non-fuel minerals or mineral materials essential to the economy or national security of the United States whose supply chains are subject to disruption.”
– Energy Law, 2020.
There are currently 50 entries in this list. United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimates that China is the leading producer of 30 of these types.from USGS data, Marcus Lu of Visual Capitalist Visualize China’s share of U.S. imports of 10 critical minerals.
What important minerals does the United States import from China?
The United States is 100% dependent on imports for its supplies. yttriumChina accounted for 94% of U.S. metal imports from 2018 to 2021.
Yttrium, a silvery, soft metal, is used as an additive in alloys to make microwave filters for radar and as a catalyst for ethylene polymerization, a key process in the production of certain types of plastics.
China is a major supplier to the United States of critical minerals, including:
Note: China’s share of U.S. critical minerals imports is based on average imports from 2018 to 2021.
Meanwhile, the United States also imports nearly three-quarters of that amount. rare earth Demand for compounds and metals from China. Rare earth elements (so called because they are easily mined and not found in concentrated clusters) are a collection of 15 elements found on Earth. periodic tableknown as the lanthanide series.
?? yttrium and scandium They exhibit similar rare earth properties and are found in the same orebodies. They are often grouped as the lanthanide series.
Rare earths are used in smartphones, cameras, hard disks, LEDs, and importantly, in the clean energy and defense industries.
Does China’s dominance in supplying critical minerals to the United States matter?
The USGS estimates that China has the potential to disrupt global affairs. Rare earth oxide supply Reduce production by 40-50%, us defense system.
A version of this type of trade war is already unfolding. Earlier this year, China introduced export controls. germanium and gallium. The United States relies on China for about 54% of its demand for both minerals, which are used to produce chips, solar panels and fiber optics.
China’s control was viewed as follows. retaliation against the United States This limits the supply of chips, chip design software and lithography equipment to Chinese companies.
Posted by: Zerohedge.com
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