# rare earths
Latest news and articles about rare earths
Total: 22 articles found
Japan’s Cost-No-Object Bid for Rare-Earth Independence Meets a Hard Reality
Japan has escalated efforts to end reliance on Chinese rare earths, investing in foreign suppliers, deep‑sea exploration and substitution technologies. Despite a new ‘cost‑no‑object’ posture and allied cooperation, technical, environmental and industrial hurdles mean Japan cannot quickly displace China’s refining dominance.
Trump’s renewed 301 probe: bargaining chip or political theater before Beijing trip?
The Trump administration has opened new Section 301 trade investigations into China and other partners ahead of a planned visit to Beijing, a move Beijing and Chinese analysts dismiss as domestic political theatre. While the probe creates legal grounds to seek higher tariffs, its practical impact before the summit is limited, and Beijing appears prepared to treat the action as bargaining posture rather than immediate escalation.
Broad A‑Share Selloff Sees Shenzhen Index Slide Over 3% as Energy Stocks Stand Alone
Chinese A‑shares fell broadly on March 3, led by a more than 3% drop in the Shenzhen Component and steep losses across thousands of stocks, even as oil and gas names surged. Elevated turnover and weak breadth point to a liquidity‑driven unwind amid global risk‑off and sector concentration risks.
China’s A‑Shares End February Riding a Commodity Wave as Tech Lags
China’s A‑shares closed February with the Shanghai Composite achieving its third straight monthly gain, driven by strong flows into commodity‑linked sectors such as chemicals, nonferrous metals and rare earths. Heavy trading volumes and concentrated sector leadership highlight a liquidity‑fuelled, cyclical rally that leaves technology and growth names lagging.
Rare‑Earth Shortage Forces US Aerospace and Chip Suppliers to Turn Away Orders
A tightening of global supplies for yttrium and scandium has prompted some US aerospace and semiconductor suppliers to ration or refuse orders. The shortage, rooted in near‑total production concentration outside the United States, risks disrupting engine maintenance and 5G chip supply chains and is forcing firms to prioritize major customers while policymakers weigh mitigation steps.
From TikTok Refugees to Transformer Shortages: Ten Unexpected Business Shocks That Defined China in 2025
A string of unexpected developments in 2025—from TikTok users migrating to Xiaohongshu, to a transformer shortage limiting AI scalability—upended Chinese business. The year highlighted how geopolitics, surging technological demand and shifting consumer culture can swiftly elevate winners and expose strategic weaknesses.
Japan’s Big Gamble: Takaichi’s Fiscal Blitz Risks a ‘Truss Moment’ as Debt and Supply Chains Bite
Sanae Takaichi’s electoral win paves the way for ambitious fiscal stimulus, defence spending and a temporary cut to food consumption tax, moves that have boosted equities but raised alarms about Japan’s ability to finance such a course. With public debt near 230% of GDP and heavy dependence on foreign and Chinese processing capacity for strategic minerals, Tokyo faces a high-stakes test of credibility that could spill across bond, currency and commodity markets.
Japan’s Seabed Rare‑Earth Claim Bumps Into Technical and Strategic Realities
Japan has announced a large rare‑earth deposit beneath the seabed near Minami‑Tori‑shima, but deep water, engineering complexity, high extraction costs and environmental and regulatory hurdles make commercial exploitation unlikely in the near term. China’s existing lead in purification technology and cost structure means Tokyo’s claim is more of a political signal than an immediate challenge to Beijing’s dominance in rare‑earth supply chains.
Hong Kong Stocks Tick Up on Metals Rally as Tech Pauses
Hong Kong’s Hang Seng rose modestly as metals and rare‑earth related stocks led gains, while some optical‑communications and large internet names drifted lower. The moves reflect investor interest in commodity and battery supply chains amid broader geopolitical and industrial concerns about raw‑material security.
Beneath the Congratulations: Trump’s Frustration over Slow $550bn Japan-to-US Investment and the High-Stakes Bargain Ahead of a March Summit
President Trump publicly congratulated Japan’s newly strengthened LDP government while privately pressing Tokyo over slow progress on a $550 billion investment package pledged to the United States. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s March visit will bring proposals such as joint rare-earth development and the first tranche of investments, but deep mutual distrust and high American demands risk turning the bargain into a geopolitical lever rather than a simple economic pact.
Beijing Pushes Tech Self‑Reliance as Markets React: Rare‑Earths Rally, Refinancing Reforms and Regulatory Tightening Shape the Week
China’s latest policy moves marry stronger support for science‑heavy firms — via refinancing reforms and public promotion of tech self‑reliance — with tougher oversight of platform conduct and consumer safety. A notable rise in rare‑earth prices and fresh corporate investment announcements highlight the economic stakes: supply chains and capital allocation will increasingly reflect Beijing’s strategic priorities.
Trump’s “In My Term” Pledge to Beijing Rewrites the Taiwan Calculus
Chinese outlets reported that a late‑night call on 4 February 2026 ended with Donald Trump pledging to keep U.S.–China ties stable “in my term,” a formulation Beijing has portrayed as a promise to prevent U.S. intervention that could escalate the Taiwan situation. The call, alongside resumed cross‑Strait exchanges and stalled Taiwanese defence spending, has prompted debate about the longer‑term security dynamics across the Taiwan Strait.