美稀土帝国崩塌记：曾供全球90%，中国70%加工卡喉，为何扶不起

Core Insights - The article discusses the critical importance of rare earth elements (REE) to the United States, highlighting a significant shift from being a dominant supplier to a state of dependency on imports, particularly from China [1][8][36] Group 1: Historical Context - In the 1950s, the United States discovered a large rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, which allowed it to dominate the global market, supplying about 70% of the world's REE [6][10] - By the 1980s, China's rare earth industry began to emerge, leveraging its abundant resources and lower labor costs, which led to increased competition for the U.S. [12][16] - The Mountain Pass mine was forced to close its refining operations in 1998 due to environmental concerns, and by 2002, the entire mine ceased operations, marking the end of large-scale U.S. rare earth production [14][19] Group 2: China's Rise in the Rare Earth Market - China's rare earth industry experienced rapid growth post-reform and opening up, with many companies entering the market, leading to over-exploitation and environmental issues [16][19] - The Chinese government recognized the problems and implemented export quotas and production controls, significantly impacting international prices and showcasing China's market power [21][23] Group 3: U.S. Challenges in Reviving the Industry - The U.S. government has struggled to maintain consistent policies to support the rare earth industry, leading to a lack of investment and technological advancement [25][30] - The stringent environmental regulations in the U.S. increase the costs of rare earth extraction and processing, making it difficult to compete with China's lower-cost operations [29][30] - The U.S. lacks a complete rare earth supply chain, particularly in the critical processing and high-value manufacturing stages, which hampers its ability to become self-sufficient [32][34] Group 4: Future Outlook - Analysts suggest that establishing a self-sufficient rare earth supply chain in the U.S. could take at least ten years and require hundreds of billions of dollars in investment, with potential production levels still falling short of China's capabilities [34][36]