美国稀土不用愁？行业专家：产业链几乎被中国垄断，谁都解决不了

Core Viewpoint - China's recent restrictions on rare earth exports significantly impact the United States and Europe, which have long relied on China for these critical materials [1] Group 1: Supply Chain Dynamics - The United States has initiated a partnership with Australia to secure rare earth supplies, believing that this will alleviate concerns over dependence on China [1][3] - Australia ranks among the top countries in global rare earth reserves, leading the U.S. to feel optimistic about future supply [3] Group 2: Refining Challenges - Industry experts highlight that the real challenge lies not in the availability of rare earth reserves but in the refining capabilities, where China dominates with over 90% of global refining capacity for key rare earth elements [5] - Many countries, including the U.S. and Australia, can extract rare earths but lack the technology and infrastructure to refine them effectively [8] Group 3: Export and Import Dynamics - Historically, many countries have exported raw rare earth materials to China for refining, making China both a major exporter and importer of rare earths [7] - The U.S. and Australia can only provide unrefined rare earths, which does not solve the refining issue that both countries face [8] Group 4: Long-term Outlook - China's restrictions extend beyond raw ore to include equipment and technology related to refining and processing rare earths, complicating efforts by the U.S. to establish a self-sufficient supply chain [10] - Building a complete rare earth supply chain in the U.S. could take 5 to 10 years, and the country is unlikely to pursue this aggressively given the challenges involved [10]