Chinalco halts Guangxi rare earth operations after environmental lapses

Brazilian miner World Mineral Resources (WMR) has found a large reserve of neodymium, one of the 17 rare earth elements, in the western Bahia state, which could bring US$8.4 billion to the country.

In a move to curb the rampant domestic illegal mining of rare earth, as well as to regulate its rare earths players, China launched on Sunday its industry association for the precious metal commodity, as MINING.com anticipated last week.

Domestic rare earth supplies will meet the U.S. defense industry’s needs by 2013 for the materials that go into military motors and electronics, according to a Pentagon report sent to Congress.

Malaysia's Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) has postponed granting a temporary rare earths mine operating license (TOL) to Australian miner Lynas Corp. (ASX:LYC) until an outstanding appeal by residents to the science, technology and innovation minister has been completed.

In a move to curb the rampant domestic illegal mining of rare earth, as well as regulate its rare earths players, China is launching an industry association for the precious metal commodity on April 8.

An annual profit of more than $A530 million for the world's biggest rare-earths producer, China's Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Co, a $1.23 billion North American takeover deal, and complaints by the US, EU and Japan to the World Trade Organisation over China's limiting of rare earth exports made March a busy month for the industry.

Japan, the world’s main importer of rare earths, has requested international assistance for alternatives, conservation, diversification and recycling and to continue dialogue with China to secure stable global supply

Most Chinese takeovers in the resource sector do not pose a threat to national security, says the author of a new report on Chinese investment in Canada.

Chris Berry, founder of Mountain Partners asset management company, provided an interesting summary of the graphite space while speaking at the recent Graphite Express Conference in Vancouver.