日本將會進口美國稀土

Recently the Asahi News reported the following:

住友商事が米国のレアアース（希土類）鉱山に進出を検討していることが２２日分かった。レアアース世界生産量の９割を占める中国は輸出規制を強めており、住友商事は中国以外の調達先の確保を狙う。日米による「脱中国」の動きが本格化してきた。
　進出検討の対象は、米カリフォルニア州にあるモリコープ社のマウンテン・パス鉱山。休眠状態だが２０１１年前半に採掘を再開し、分離や精製、精錬の設備を新設して１２年末までに年２万トンの生産体制にする計画だ。
　設備新設には数百億円規模の資金が必要とされるうえ、多くの関連特許を日本企業は持つ。住友商事は出資や融資を検討、技術面でも協力できないか協議している模様だ。
　大手商社の双日によると、１１年のレアアースの世界需要（中国内需を除く）は５万６８００トンで、１万６８００トンの供給不足。日本は１万トン余りの供給不足が予想され、住友商事は同鉱山から日本向け輸出を確保する。
　マウンテン・パス鉱山は一時は世界最大の生産量を誇ったが、９０年代に入り、中国のレアアースの安値攻勢に敗れて休眠していた。だが中国はレアアースの資源価値を重視し、輸出許可枠を０６年から減らし始めた。そんななか米国資本がマウンテン・パス鉱山に注目した。
　同鉱山のレアアースはほかの鉱山よりも良質とされ、ほかの日本の商社や企業も関心を示している。

On the 22nd, it was understood that Sumitomo Corporation was examining the importation of rare earth (rare earthes) from mines in the United States. China that accounted for 90 percent of the rare earth world production was strengthening the restriction on export, and Sumitomo Corporation aimed at securing the procurement from destinations other than China. The movement of "De-China" by Japan-U.S. had become full-scale.
The object of importation under investigation was a mine of the Moriko-pu Co. at Mountain Pass in U.S. California state. It was scheduled to restart mining in the first half of 2011 although it had been in a dormancy state at the moment. Using newly established equipment to do separation and refinement, and smelting there were plans to make the system to produce 20,000 tons yearly up to the end of 12 years.
On top of the capital of several ten billion yen scale would be needed, Japanese firms had a lot of related patents in the establishment of new equipment. Sumitomo Corporation examined the investment and the financing, and seemed to be conferring on solving cooperating difficulties on the technical side.
The world demand for the rare earth in the year 2011 ( Chinese domestic demand excluded) would be 56,800 tons according to Double Day, a big trader, and the short supply would be 16,800 tons. Japan expected to face a short supply of the balance of over 10,000 tons, and Sumitomo Corporation would secure export to Japan from this mine.
Entering the 90's, the mine at Mountain Pass was defeated by the low price offensive of the rare earth of China, and the mine was resting though it had once boasted as the world's largest production site. However, since the year 2006 China valued the resource value of rare earth, and began to decrease the number of export permission. As such, capitals in the United States paid attention to the mine at Mountain Pass.
It was said the mine was of better quality than other mines, and other Japanese trading companies and enterprises were also interested in the rare earth of this mine.

It seems that Japan is preparing to rely more on the US on the importation of raw materials.