The US, Japan and European Union (EU) plan to bring a new trade case against China over its export restrictions on rare earth minerals used in a variety of high-tech and clean energy products, senior administration officials said on Monday, said a Reuters report in Mining Weekly.
China accounts for around 97% of the world’s output of the 17 rare earth metals, which are crucial for global electronics production and the defense and renewable-energy industries. They are also used in a wide range of consumer products, from iPhones to electric cars.
Beijing’s restrictions on exports of the valuable minerals became a flash point in 2010, when China halted rare earth shipments to Japan during a diplomatic dispute.
The US and the EU have long been expected to file a World Trade Organisation (WTO) case against China’s rare earth mineral export curbs, but appeared to be awaiting the outcome of a separate case against Beijing’s exports on a long list of other raw materials.
That dispute was finally decided in favor of the US, EU and Mexico in January after China lost an appeal to keep its raw material export curbs. Beijing has not yet announced how it intends to comply with the January ruling.
