{"id":1140816,"date":"2019-09-27T06:43:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-27T11:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/?p=1003050"},"modified":"2019-09-27T06:43:10","modified_gmt":"2019-09-27T11:43:10","slug":"us-steps-up-efforts-to-limit-chinas-control-of-critical-minerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/?p=1140816","title":{"rendered":"US steps up efforts to limit China\u2019s control of critical minerals"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The US government is stepping up efforts to break China\u2019s dominance over supplies of critical minerals for range of modern life\u2019s aspects including electric vehicles (EVs), green technologies and military applications by launching a plan to boost lithium, cobalt and rare earths mining across the globe.<\/p>\n<div class='d-flex justify-content-center'>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0'><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0');});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Energy Resource Governance Initiative (ERGI) initiative (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/u-s-convenes-a-multilateral-meeting-on-energy-resource-governance-initiative-ergi\/\" >Energy Resource Governance Initiative (ERGI) initiative<\/a>, announced in June,\u00a0so far involves Australia, Botswana, Peru, Argentina, Brazil, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Namibia, the Philippines and Zambia.<\/p>\n<p>The scheme seeks to promote responsible mining of 15 materials expected to be in high demand as the adoption of technologies such as EVs, battery storage and wind turbines continues to rise. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe want to ensure that these important mineral commodities remain free from international coercion and control,\u201d US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/ca.usembassy.gov\/secretary-michael-r-pompeo-at-the-department-of-states-energy-resources-governance-initiative-event\/\" >said in a meeting held on Thursday<\/a> at the United Nations General Assembly.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Washington has grown more concerned recently about its dependence on mineral imports after Beijing suggested using them as leverage in the\u00a0trade war\u00a0between the world\u2019s two largest economies.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>\u201cThe work that we\u2019re doing here is<br \/>\nabsolutely essential \u2013 it\u2019s essential to ensuring secure and reliable energy supplies<br \/>\nfor every nation,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n<p>Pompeo said the Trump administration<br \/>\nwill also work on bilateral agreements, such as the one it recently signed with<br \/>\nCanada, aimed at strengthening cooperation on critical minerals. <\/p>\n<p>Washington has also gained the support of Australia, which <a href=\"https:\/\/au.usembassy.gov\/white-house-statement-trump-turnbull-meeting-strengthens-alliance\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">has committed to facilitate potential joint ventures<\/a> to improve rare earth processing capacity and reduce reliance on Chinese rare earths.<\/p>\n<p>In early September, Canberra identified <a href=\"https:\/\/www.austrade.gov.au\/ArticleDocuments\/5572\/Critical_Minerals_Projects_in_Australia.pdf.aspx.\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">15 rare earth and critical mineral projects it aims to champion<\/a> as part of the joint effort with the US to challenge China\u2019s dominance in the market.<\/p>\n<p>The announcement followed a move by Australia\u2019s Lynas Corp (ASX: LYC), the world\u2019s largest rare earths miner outside China,&nbsp;which signed in July a deal with its partner, Texas-based Blue Line, to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/lynas-blames-us-china-trade-war-for-rare-earths-market-volatility\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">build a heavy rare earths separation facility in the US<\/a>. Such facility should begin operations by 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The US has also <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/joint-statement-on-u-s-greenland-mou-and-hyperspectral-survey\/\" >signed a memorandum of understanding<\/a> to assist Greenland in the exploration and development of the island\u2019s resources \u2014 in particular, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/greenland-can-but-doesnt-want-to-be-globes-new-top-rare-earth-producer-46188\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">its rare earth minerals<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Washington has grown more concerned recently about its dependence on mineral imports after Beijing suggested using them as leverage in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/lynas-blames-us-china-trade-war-for-rare-earths-market-volatility\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">trade war<\/a>&nbsp;between the world&#8217;s two largest economies.<\/p>\n<p>China accounts for almost 80% of<br \/>\nthe global mined supply of rare earths, a group of 17 chemical elements used in<br \/>\neverything from hi-tech consumer electronics to military equipment.<\/p>\n<p>The nation has used its rare earths dominance to make a political point in the past. It blocked exports to Japan after a maritime dispute in 2010, though the consequent spike in prices triggered a race to secure supplies elsewhere. <\/p>\n<p>Beijing has also been secure supplies of other critical minerals and battery metals such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, buying up stakes in mining projects in countries from <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mining.com\/china-lithium-top-player-boosts-investment-emerging-australian-miner\/\" >Australia<\/a> to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/tianqi-lithium-name-three-directors-sqm-board-next-month\/\" >South America<\/a> and&nbsp;Greenland. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington has launched an initiative to promote mining of lithium, cobalt and other minerals in resources-rich countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1016,2849,949,369,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1140816"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1140838,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140816\/revisions\/1140838"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1140816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1140816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1140816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}