经济日报：日本多行业陷入稀土焦虑

Core Viewpoint - Japan is increasingly concerned about China's export controls on rare earth elements, prompting efforts to diversify supply sources and reduce dependency on China [1] Group 1: Dependency on China - Japan's reliance on China for rare earth imports has decreased from approximately 90% to 60% [1] - Despite the reduction, Japan remains highly dependent on China for critical rare earth elements used in electric vehicle motors, with elements like Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb) being nearly 100% sourced from China [1] Group 2: Economic Impact - If China implements export controls for three months, Japan's economic loss is estimated at about 660 billion yen, equating to a 0.11% decline in nominal and real GDP [1] - Should the restrictions last for one year, the economic loss could escalate to approximately 2.6 trillion yen, resulting in a GDP decline of 0.43% [1] Group 3: Affected Industries - The automotive industry, particularly electric and hybrid vehicles, relies heavily on rare earth magnets, with past shortages leading to production halts [1] - The electronics sector, including smartphones and semiconductor manufacturing, heavily utilizes rare earths, especially in fluorescent and magnetic materials, where alternatives are limited [1] - Wind power generation equipment also shows high dependency on rare earth magnets, facing challenges in efficiency and cost with alternative technologies [1] - Medical devices, such as MRI machines, require strong magnets that are irreplaceable with current technologies [1] - The aerospace and defense sectors extensively use rare earth alloys and magnets, with limited substitution options available [1]