Group 1 - China controls 60% of global rare earth reserves and has established a complete industrial chain from mining to high-end applications, particularly in the field of neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnet materials, where its patent share is 64% [1] - China's unique "solvent extraction method" enhances the purity of rare earth separation to 99.9999%, and this technology is included in the Wassenaar Arrangement control list [1] - The technical conversion rate in China's rare earth permanent magnet materials sector is 82%, compared to only 37% in the United States, indicating a significant technological gap [1] Group 2 - The Western bloc is attempting to break through through a "technology alliance + resource restructuring" dual-track approach, with the U.S. Department of Defense leading the establishment of a "Rare Earth Security Supply Chain Alliance" [3] - Australia’s Lynas Corporation and Germany's BASF are collaborating to integrate technological resources, while Japan's Sumitomo Metal and India's rare earth company plan to build a rare earth separation plant in India with an annual processing capacity of 8,000 tons [3] - The global rare earth production increased by 12% in 2023, with the U.S. Mountain Pass mine increasing production by 40% and Australia's Mount Weld mine capacity rising by 25% [3] Group 3 - Despite efforts to restart the domestic rare earth industry, U.S. companies like MP Materials still rely on China for deep processing, with 90% of refined products needing to be sent to China [5] - The U.S. military's dependence on Chinese rare earths has not decreased, with the F-35 fighter jet using 417 kg of rare earths, 63% of which still comes from Chinese supply chains [5] - China's advantages in rare earth functional materials are evident, with significant market shares held by companies like Ningbo Yunsheng, which occupies 45% of the global smart terminal market [5] Group 4 - China is transforming its resource advantages into industrial chain governance through a dual barrier of "patent pools + standard systems" [7] - The European Union's "Raw Materials Act" plans to invest 1.5 billion euros to support the rare earth industry, but achieving localization goals may take at least 15 years [5] - The establishment of a rare earth futures trading platform by China's Ministry of Commerce and the inclusion of rare earth permanent magnets in the "Catalog of Technologies Prohibited from Exporting" are strategic moves to enhance control over the supply chain [5]
中国稀土出口份额骤降,美国稀土战将胜出?美媒:数据揭露背后真相