# rare earths
Latest news and articles about rare earths
Total: 8 articles found
Retail Rush and Policy Support: A‑Share New Accounts Soar as Walmart Briefly Tops $1 Trillion
January saw a dramatic surge in Chinese retail participation with nearly 4.92 million new A‑share accounts, while the PBOC provided targeted three month liquidity to smooth seasonal pressures. Globally, the US moved to build a critical minerals reserve to reduce reliance on China, and Walmart briefly eclipsed a $1 trillion market cap, underscoring divergent strengths in consumer and tech segments.
Japan Declares Breakthrough in Deep‑sea Rare‑earth Harvesting as Beijing’s Export Curbs Bite
Japan says it has successfully retrieved rare‑earth mud from seabed deposits near Minami‑Tori‑Shima and hopes to begin commercial mining by February 2027 if trials continue to succeed. The move is partly a response to China’s recent export controls, but technical, financial and environmental barriers make the 2027 timeline ambitious.
Japan's Deep‑Sea Gamble: Mining the Pacific to Escape China’s Rare‑Earth Grip
Japan has begun sea trials to harvest rare‑earth‑rich mud off Minami‑Tori‑shima, seeking to reduce reliance on China’s dominant refining industry. The tests face steep technical, economic and environmental hurdles, and even successful extraction would not immediately displace China’s lead in processing and supply chains.
When Price Floors Falter: What the U.S. Retreat on Rare-Earth Support Reveals About the China Problem
A Reuters report that the U.S. has stepped back from a planned price-floor support for domestic rare-earth projects exposed deep institutional limits to rapid decoupling from China. Rare earths’ long lead times, technical hurdles and China’s decades-long industrial advantage mean durable change requires sustained, politically costly investment rather than short-term guarantees.
Washington Ploughs $1.6bn into U.S. Rare-Earth Mines — But Can It Break China’s Grip?
The U.S. is buying a roughly 10% stake in USA Rare Earth for $1.6 billion to hasten domestic rare-earth mining and processing and reduce dependence on China. While the investment is sizeable and politically significant, technical, environmental and resource-quality challenges mean breaking China’s dominance will be a slow and uncertain process.
China Rare Earths Foresees Return to Profit as Price Swings Pinch Q4 Gains
China Rare Earths forecasts a net profit of RMB 143–185 million for 2025, reversing a RMB 287 million loss the prior year. The recovery was driven by a stronger first-half market and inventory write-backs, but fourth-quarter price falls in medium and heavy rare-earths triggered additional impairment charges that tempered full-year gains.
Greenland Game: Trump’s ‘Framework’ Exposes a U.S. Push for Arctic Access and Resources
President Trump’s claim of a NATO‑backed ‘framework’ on Greenland, promising U.S. “full access” without payment, has provoked firm rejections from Denmark and Greenland. The alleged deal appears aimed at expanding U.S. military access — including stationing a missile‑defence system — and securing preferential rights to Greenland’s strategic minerals, but it runs headlong into legal sovereignty and alliance politics.
U.S. Treasury Says China Is Delivering Rare Earths and Soybeans — but Risks Linger
At Davos U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said China has fulfilled commitments to purchase U.S. soybeans and to supply rare earths, with rare‑earth flows reportedly above 90 percent compliance. Officials present this as a pragmatic easing of trade tensions, but farmers’ doubts and the strategic concentration of rare‑earth processing in China mean risks remain.