What is new are efforts by China\u2019s national and provincial governments to crack down on the illegal mines, to which local authorities have long turned a blind eye. The efforts coincide with a decision by Beijing to reduce legal exports as well, including an announcement by China\u2019s commerce ministry on Tuesday that export quotas for all rare earth metals will be 35 percent lower in the early months of next year than in the first half of this year.<\/p>\n
Rogue operations in southern China produce an estimated half of the world\u2019s supply of heavy rare earths, which are the most valuable kinds of rare earth metals. Heavy rare earths are increasingly vital to the global manufacture of a range of high-technology products \u201d\u201d including iPhones, BlackBerrys, flat-panel televisions, lasers, hybrid cars and wind-power turbines, as well as a lot of military hardware.<\/p>\n
China mines 99 percent of the global supply of heavy rare earths, with legal, state-owned mines mainly accounting for the rest of China\u2019s output. That means the Chinese government\u2019s only effective competitors in producing these valuable commodities are the crime rings within the country\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n