NEW YORK TIMES: One of the broadest international coalitions of business groups ever assembled on a trade issue involving China has asked the leaders of the Group of 20 nations to reach a consensus when they meet this month in Seoul that trade in crucial rare earth minerals will not be interrupted because of industrial policies or political disputes.
The range of countries and industries whose business groups signed a letter that made the request underscores the level of worry in companies around the world over recent export restrictions placed on rare earths by China, which mines 95 percent of those materials. These minerals are needed for things ranging from cellphones and cars to glass manufacturing, oil refining, clean energy and the production of missiles and sonar for the military… (more)
