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> Consistent, long term industrial policy is very effective. Yes. This is what kills the US in rare earths, cobalt, gallium, etc. US mines shut down when the p

> Consistent, long term industrial policy is very effective. Yes. This is what kills the US in rare earths, cobalt, gallium, etc. US mines shut down when the price goes down. Sometimes they restart when the price goes up. Sometimes they don't. All this churn makes the business unprofitable in the US.[1] [1] https://mpmaterials.com/articles/mp-materials-reports-third-quarter-2024-results/ https://mpmaterials.com/articles/mp-materials-reports-third-...

llm_trw 2y ago
You're ignoring the fact that we also don't want oceans of toxic sludge left after the mining. This is not the case in China.
- Animats 2y ago
  The Mountain Pass mine solved that problem years ago. What they couldn't solve was making money during periods when China cut rare earth prices.
  - llm_trw 2y ago
    And china cut the prices by ignoring the environmental impacts of their mines.
  - klooney 2y ago
    If only there was a giant money fountain with a vested interest in keeping mountain pass functional for the long haul.
- defrost 2y ago
  The by products come after processing the concentrates from mining. The largest non-Chinese supply chain globally is Lynas, concentrates from toxic waste free mining in W.Australia are shipped to Malaysia for processing where pools of low level radioactive waste and associated acids are created as by product. Texas, USA, very much wants in on having "oceans of toxic sludge left after the" processing: The United States Department of Defence will contribute $US288 million ($442m) to develop Seadrift, with a view the construction will be finished by mid-2026. Lynas bought the southern Texas site in July last year from Dow and planned to turn first sod before the end of this year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynas https://lynasrareearths.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Lynas-Rare-Earths_Open-House-Presentation-December-7-2023.pdf https://lynasrareearths.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Lynas... The US expansion is funded by a US DoD initiative to secure critical resources for the US.
seanmcdirmid 2y ago
China was refining rare earths without much concern for their own environment: they were basically ****ing in their backyard to provide the west with cheaper rare earths to work with. This of course is unsustainable, and should have been stopped earlier by either Chinese or western governments with some concern for the environment as well rewarding bad self-destructive behavior.
Incipient 2y ago
To condense a few points. China generally out competes on a few points: - strategic government investment - lower cost of labour - lower environmental regulation - proximity to downstream consumers

llm_trw 2y ago

You're ignoring the fact that we also don't want oceans of toxic sludge left after the mining. This is not the case in China.

Animats 2y ago
The Mountain Pass mine solved that problem years ago. What they couldn't solve was making money during periods when China cut rare earth prices.
- llm_trw 2y ago
  And china cut the prices by ignoring the environmental impacts of their mines.
- klooney 2y ago
  If only there was a giant money fountain with a vested interest in keeping mountain pass functional for the long haul.
defrost 2y ago
The by products come after processing the concentrates from mining. The largest non-Chinese supply chain globally is Lynas, concentrates from toxic waste free mining in W.Australia are shipped to Malaysia for processing where pools of low level radioactive waste and associated acids are created as by product. Texas, USA, very much wants in on having "oceans of toxic sludge left after the" processing: The United States Department of Defence will contribute $US288 million ($442m) to develop Seadrift, with a view the construction will be finished by mid-2026. Lynas bought the southern Texas site in July last year from Dow and planned to turn first sod before the end of this year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynas https://lynasrareearths.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Lynas-Rare-Earths_Open-House-Presentation-December-7-2023.pdf https://lynasrareearths.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Lynas... The US expansion is funded by a US DoD initiative to secure critical resources for the US.

seanmcdirmid 2y ago

China was refining rare earths without much concern for their own environment: they were basically ****ing in their backyard to provide the west with cheaper rare earths to work with. This of course is unsustainable, and should have been stopped earlier by either Chinese or western governments with some concern for the environment as well rewarding bad self-destructive behavior.

Incipient 2y ago

To condense a few points. China generally out competes on a few points: - strategic government investment - lower cost of labour - lower environmental regulation - proximity to downstream consumers