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Comment by jokoon | Hacker News Reader

Does that include rare earths?

This article says China hold 97% of rare earth's production:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rare_earths_trade_dispute

Anyway, that's an important argument made to make durable phones, and with lightweight software so that you can do more with less. I wish there was some durability review on products so that consumers can understand what companies do to make products have a limited lifespan.--

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My understanding of the rare earths issue is that the reason China controls that much of the production is because all the extraction & production elsewhere shut down due to an inability to compete with China's prices. You basically have to open pit enormous areas to get any quantity of them.

If the global rare earth prices rise enough, or if China continues to try to manipulate its exports to ensure that products using rare earths are manufactured within its borders, then mines eleswhere will open.

Mothballed facilities like the mountain pass mine are already reopening.

That stat is wildly out of date -- its closer to 80%.

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/rare-earths-statistics-and...

There are operational mines in the U.S. and Australia (among others) and processing facilities in Estonia, Malaysia, and 3 processing facilities under construction in the US.

DoD has begun creating large stockpiles, adding >400 metric tonnes per year.

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