Neither earth, nor rare

Commodities

China and the West argue about the rare earths. This weekend, even the U.S. Secretary of State Clinton has therefore dealt with the Chinese. But depending on how the companies are really in this country?
By Jan Grossarth

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Rare earths from China: Low environmental and safety standards made possible the cheap extraction of metals
31. October 2010 Rare Earth was a rock band and the 1969 "I'm Losing You" sang. The song titles fit the current lamentations from industry about the shortage of the rare earths. "The situation is very serious," said the entrepreneur Ulrich Grillo, Chairman of the resource-policy committee of the German industry association BDI. Even the existence of some companies is at risk. The rare earth account for only a thousandth share of raw materials for industrial products such as electric cars, wind power rotors or mobile phones, but are essential. The good news is that rare earths are not uncommon. It will only take a certain time until they are well beyond China dismantled in significant amounts.