U.S. urged to renew rare earth production

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- A public policy and research organization in Washington says the United States must again become a major producer of rare earth metals.

U.S. reliance on China for rare earth metals -- essential to U.S. military and economic needs -- poses national security risks to the country, it said.

"Rare earth metals present a weak link in our defense supply chain," said Emily Coppel, author of a report by the American Security Project. "These metals are critical for national security, as they are essential for our most powerful weapons.

"The U.S. was once the world's top producer and supplier of these metals but now China controls over 90 percent of the rare earths market. This means the U.S. is now completely reliant on China for the production of our most powerful weapons.

"While the U.S. has taken some steps to reduce this reliance on China, we have not done enough," she said.

Rare earth metals – such as lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium and samarium -- can be found in many rock formations but they aren't concentrated and are expensive to extract. They are used in products such as computer drives, cellphones, radars and missile guidance systems.

The ASP said the United States has the world's second-biggest deposit of rare earths and was the chief supplier of rare earths until the 1980s. Production and mining facilities began moving to China and the last U.S. rare earth mine closed in 2002.

"The first country that can develop an effective and reliable substitute for rare earth metals or that is able to develop new and more efficient technologies will gain a competitive advantage over its peers," Coppel said.

"With the most robust defense industry in the world, the U.S. has a significant advantage over other countries. We need to capitalize on this advantage and regain our position as a producer and supplier of rare earths."

The American Security Project describes itself as a non-profit, bipartisan public policy and research organization that focuses on national security issues. Its report is titled "Rare Earth Metals and U.S. National Security."