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On the global economic map, the battle for rare earth elements is like a silent cold war, and the United States, once a self-sufficient leader in the field of rare earths, is now flashlighting, looking around the map for rare earth veins that can replace China.
I have to say that this mining game is a little more tense than the excitement of looking for easter eggs.
Yes, the United States has made some progress in the exploration of rare earth mines, like accidentally discovering an unexploded World War II bomb in the backyard, excited and apprehensive.
But don't forget, we're talking about rare earths, a resource that would require huge investment and technology to mine and process even if discovered. This is not a simple "dig and get rich" story, this is a chess game that requires careful consideration.
New US discoveries seem to have made China's rare earth monopoly less ineffective, but don't rush to assume that the tide is turned.
As long as China holds the banner of global rare earth processing, the United States is like a chess player with chess pieces in his hands but a bad chess game, and the situation is still complicated.
The reality is that even if the United States finds rare earths, without advanced processing technology, these rare earths will only look at China's processing plants.
This can't help but remind people of the old saying: "If there is rice without a pot, it has to be cooked by the Chinese!" "Humor is humor, but the helplessness and anxiety behind it are real.
In this battle, the United States has to face an embarrassing reality: their position on the global rare earth ** chain is slowly sliding from the commanding heights to the bottom of the slope.
In the whole chain of rare earth ore mining and processing,Every step of the United States is like a waltz on ice, elegant but funny, and the pace is always unsteady.
All of this points to the question: is rare earth deposits enough? Apparently not.
There is no supporting processing technology and industrial chainRare earth ore is like a pile of priceless ornaments, which are pleasing to the eye but helpless.
In this way, the U.S. rare earth strategy seems to be doing a marathon with no end, tired and happy? Perhaps, but that's not the end.
After all, no one wants to run forever in a race with no finish, especially in this era where cost and efficiency are paramount.
In the world of rare earths, "having mines" seems to be only half the success, at least for the United States, the other half - processing technology, is the key to open the treasure chest.
Although the United States nodded proudly at its own map and mineral resources,But when it comes to rare earth processing, I have to admit that I am still a technical "scumbag".
In contrast, China is like the top student who always gets an A in rare earth processing class, not only with good grades, but also with the teacher's preparation notes.
This technological gap is reminiscent of scenes from those moviesIt's ironic that a team has gone to great lengths to find a treasure, only to find that the key to the treasure is in the hands of another team.
Rare earth mining in the U.S. is like just digging gold in your backyard, only to find that your furnace is broken and needs to be repaired at a Chinese repair shop next door.
This is not only a technical embarrassment, but also a strategic helplessness. Want to be self-reliant? You'll have to ask the "Furnace Masters" if they're willing to pass on the secrets.
This embarrassing situation is also reflected in the industrial chain of rare earths. From excavation and separation to refining, every step requires sophisticated technology.
Although the United States has made some progress in preliminary refining, it has reached the level of fine processingIt's like a high jumper encountering a pole vault, but the pole doesn't know how to borrow it.
China, with its advanced processing technology, can not only efficiently convert its own rare earth resources, but also provide processing services to the outside world.
It's like a chef with a full kitchen equipmentNot only can you make dishes that are full of color and flavor, but you can also hold cooking classes and teach others how to cook.
In this rare earth processing game, the United States is facing not only technical challenges, but also economic considerations. After all, building a processing system that can compete with China requires huge investment and time.
It's not a problem that can be solved by buying an ovenThis is the need for a complete set of kitchen equipment, including those whose names only professional chefs know.
In this case,The United States seems to be trapped in the narrow of a technological divide, both trying to cross and lacking adequate tools.
This conflict is not limited to the two countries, but also affects the entire global rare earth chain, as the global rare earth market is volatile when a major rare earth producer is unable to fully utilize its own resources.
As this problem gradually comes to light,Some key questions arise: How will the United States bridge this technology gap?
In the rare earth world, the United States seems to have encountered a "lack of adaptation" at the cost level. The layout of the rare earth industry chain is like a complex relay race, and the players of the United States are distributed in different states and even different countriesEach delivery requires expensive freight charges, turning into one desperate relay after another that burns money.
Imagine a rare earth ore traveling from a pit in California to a specialized processing plant by truck.
Then, the processed semi-finished product has to be flown to the next processing pointProbably in Texas, or worse, across the ocean to Australia.
This is not only a "traveling around the world" territory within the United States, but also a tourist route of "rare earth ore fantasy rafting".
This fragmented industrial chain is not only interesting, but also makes people wonder: who will pay for all this high cost? No guesswork, it's all passed on to consumers in the end.
In contrast, China's rare earth industry chain is like a well-designed automated assembly line, in a relatively concentrated area, from mining to processing, to export, every link is closely connected, and the efficiency is amazing.
It's like a baton in a team relayThe transmission is completed almost in the air, which saves time and effort, not to mention the considerable freight savings.
This difference in cost has brought a lot of pressure to the rare earth industry chain in the United States.
Pricing of U.S. companies in the rare earth market,Just like those organic foods that appear in high-end restaurants, the ** is staggeringly high, but you have to pay for it.
The pain point in cost is not only a matter of money, but also the "soft underbelly" of the competitiveness of the US rare earth industry.
In this case,The question arises: Can the U.S. rare earth industry chain somehow reduce this cost burden?
In the rare earth drama in the United States, the weather vane of policy seems to be turned by a group of politicians with multiple personality disorder, and with each change of year, the wind can take a 180-degree turn.
This not only makes the future of the rare earth industry as unpredictable as the weatherAnd it also makes entrepreneurs' investment plans look like a high-risk game.
In the Trump era, rare earth policy was like a big gamble, and he shouted to make the American rare earth industry great again, and he did not hesitate to launch a war against China to protect the domestic industry.
And after Biden took over the baton, the strategy turned to a trickle of waterTrying to mitigate risks through diplomacy and international cooperation, rare earths policy has easily slipped from "America First" to "Global Cooperation".
The two parties are like twin brothers who control the weather vane, one wants to go east, the other prefers the west, and the ships of the rare earth industry are jolting in the political ocean, and the helmsmen are dizzy.
But it's not just policy instability that is at the point of conflict in this rare earth drama.
And then there are the environmentalists sitting in the audience, who are unusually sensitive to the problem of pollution in the mining and processing of rare earths.
Whenever you want to promote the rare earth industry, there will be a huge wave of environmental protectionIt's like playing a political version of "hide and seek" – run, and the environment is in hot pursuit.
Now, the rare earth industry policy has become like a torn net, with decision-makers eager to revitalize the industry on one side and environmental fighters waving green flags on the other, and entrepreneurs caught in the middle are like a group of butterflies trapped in the net, struggling but with nowhere to escape.
The question is, can this net be woven into a safety net that satisfies everyone?
And in the midst of all these conflicts and fluctuations, nothing is more puzzling than the long-term perspectives of policymakers.
On the long-distance track of the rare earth industry, short-sighted policy jumps are like the faltering steps of runners, making people wonder if they really see the end.
The future of the rare earth industryWill there be a clear path to be found in these shifting policy winds?