China's rare earth exportsChina to continue and update 2011 rare earths quotas-Commerce Ministry
Chinese officials say the country will continue with rare earth exports and are still pondering 2011 rare earth export quotas, but promise a timely decision
Posted: Wednesday , 19 Jan 2011RENO, NV -
China's Ministry of Commerce Tuesday said the country will continue rare earth exports and regulate export quotas according to World Trade Organization rules.
Yao Jian, a spokesman for the ministry, told a news media briefing that full-year rare earths export quotas for this year are under discussion and will be announced in a timely fashion.
At the end of last year China set its first batch of 2011 quotas at 14,446 tonnes.
China exported 35,000 tonnes of rare earth from January to November 2010. Yao said China acted responsibly last year to ensure basic demand for the minerals was met.
Yao said China has noticed that other nations, such as Australia and the U.S., have increased exploitation of rare earth in their own countries. China now supplies 90% of rare earths global demand. Exports to Japan, the EU and the US accounted for 86% of total exports last year, he noted.