Cesium Exports banned in 2025?There’s no other element other than cesium that Stockhead can think of where China’s hegemony is so absolute.
Primary play cesium mining operations are rare because of the scarcity of sizeable pollucite deposits, – the only mineral known to contain high grades (~8% is considered very economical) of Cs and found in very highly fractionated lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites. Although it has a large number of isotopes, naturally occurring cesium in pollucite consists exclusively of nonradioactive isotope 133 cesium.
Both types are used in oil and gas drilling for lubrication and refining, medical isotopes and atomic clocks for 5G communication devices, among others, and are largely processed in China and Albemarle’s chemical factory in Germany.
With all the discussion of tariffs between the US and China could PWM get this lucky to have China ban the exports of Cesium?