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Imperial Mining Group (IMPNF) Scandium is the wave of the future for making Electric Vehicles lightweight. Check out the latest youtube videos with the CEO of IPG Peter Cashin here:
National company acquires exclusive rights to Purdue rare-earth element innovations, critical for clean energy technologies
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/releases/2021/Q1/national-company-acquires-exclusive-rights-to-purdue-rare-earth-element-innovations,-critical-for-clean-energy-technologies.html
The US is taking steps towards breaking China’s rare earths monopoly
REUTERS/STEVE MARCUS
FILE PHOTO: A view of the MP Materials rare earth open-pit mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020. Picture taken January 30, 2020.…
By Mary Hui
Reporter
February 5, 2021
Another rare earths company may soon be going public in the US, presenting new opportunities for private investment in the domestic critical metals industry—a sector that Washington has signaled strong interest in reviving.
Rare earths, a group of 17 metals, are increasingly regarded as an urgent matter of national security given their crucial role in the manufacturing of high-tech products, from weapons to magnets for electric vehicles. While the US used to be a major global producer of the metals, China now dwarfs the US in rare earths production, and is the source of 80% of US rare earth imports (pdf).
USA Rare Earth, which is developing the Round Top rare earths mine in Texas, is exploring a New York listing this year that could value the company at over $1 billion. According to the company, the Round Top project has over a century’s worth of rare earth supplies. With only one mining firm currently producing rare earths in the US, Round Top—which the company hopes to have in operation by 2023—would play a significant role in helping diversify supplies.
With China declaring rare earths a “strategic resource” and recently tightening regulations on the metals, the US faces heightened pressure to secure its supplies. Beijing has not ruled out cutting rare earth exports as a trade weapon. Meanwhile, demand for the metals is projected to increase, propelled by the growing electric vehicle market. Indeed, since 2018 China has been a net importer of rare earths, and is scrambling to even keep up with its own domestic needs—its exports last year dropped to a five-year low.
That’s all the more reason to ensure the US has diverse and reliable sources of rare earths, according to Pini Althaus, CEO of USA Rare Earth. “We’ve got to start doing something immediately to secure the supply chain,” he says. “This is not a trade war, this is simply supply and demand.”
There are also unexpected geopolitical developments that can trigger supply shocks. This week’s military coup in Myanmar, which accounts for roughly 10% of global rare earths production, temporarily sent shares of Chinese rare earth companies surging, driven by fears that instability and US sanctions could disrupt exports.
“A mosaic of actions”
No one company will singlehandedly revive the US’s rare earths industry, but a growing patchwork of firms and policy initiatives is helping the country reduce its reliance on China.
While MP Materials, which operates the only active rare earth mine on American soil and whose shares have more than doubled since listing last November, is technically a USA Rare Earth competitor, Althaus notes that “collaboration is the name of the game here.” For example, rare earths are categorized as “light” or “heavy” based on atomic weight, and MP Materials focuses more on the former while USA Rare Earth is more focused on the latter.
There are other encouraging signs. This week, the Pentagon awarded $30 million in funding to Lynas, an Australian miner and the largest rare earths mining and processing firm outside of China. Lynas will use the money to set up a light rare earths processing plant in Texas, and if successful, the project is expected to produce a quarter of the world’s supply of rare earth oxides. Already, Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze has said the Biden administration’s support for green technology is a “very good thing” for the firm’s business, given the use of rare earths in electric car motors and wind turbines.
And though the US hopes to restore the entire rare earths supply chain to American soil, the global nature of the industry, and the world economy at large, will invariably mean that different countries’ rare earths industrial chains will still likely criss-cross borders.
For example, MP Materials is almost one-tenth owned by a Chinese company, Shenghe Resources, which essentially buys all of MP Materials’ rare earth concentrates for processing in China. While that arrangement helps the US because the country currently doesn’t have the capacity to do so, it also ends up helping China. In an interview last October (link in Chinese), the chairman of Shenghe Resources noted that a key factor in the firm’s success has been building partnerships with foreign companies.
Meanwhile, US president Joe Biden’s “Buy American” executive order—part of a raft of directives he has signed in the first days in office—explicitly mentions investing in clean energy and critical supply chains. That comes shortly after former president Donald Trump, in his last days in the White House, signed a $2.3 trillion spending package that included $800 million for rare earths programs, in a move that earned support from US miners. And there are currently several bills being considered that would provide tax incentives for the domestic production and purchase of rare earths.
Dan McGroarty, a member of the USA Rare Earth advisory board, said he hopes to see “a mosaic of actions” from the Biden administration with regards to rare earths, from allocating more federal funding to collaborating with other countries like Australia, Canada, and Japan to secure the global supply chain. “There’s going to be a significant degree of continuation and acceleration” from Trump to Biden on critical mineral policies, he said.
https://qz.com/1969069/the-us-takes-steps-to-break-chinas-rare-earths-monopoly/
Pentagon awards $30 million contract to boost processing of rare earth elements
Andrew Eversden
February 1
66
The U.S. is looking to increase domestic rare earth metal production. (Rodger Bosch/AFP via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department awarded a $30.4 million contract to boost domestic processing of light rare earth elements as part of an effort to become less dependent on China for critical technologies, the department announced Monday,
The Pentagon awarded the funds to Lynas Rare Earths Limited, the world’s largest rare earth element mining and processing company outside of China. The firm will use the funds to open a processing facility in Hondo, Texas, through its U.S. subsidiary, Lynas USA.
The award is part of a broader push by the department to secure its rare earth supply chain, which is threatened by China’s dominance in the industry, and move more production to the United States. China is the top producer of rare earth metals, which are a critical piece of defense systems like satellites or the F-35 fighter jet.
“The significance of the award is they [the Defense Department] are continuing to march forward and put the pieces of the puzzle back in place so the U.S. will have access to rare earth [elements] to meet national security needs,” said Jeffery Green, president of J.A. Green & Company, a government relations firm that works with the defense industry.
If the project is successful, Lynas would be the producer of about a quarter of the world’s rare earth oxides, or processed rare earth elements. Increasing domestic production of the metals is critical because they are so widespread.
“You’ll find these things in almost every major defense system,” Green told C4ISRNET.
To counter Chinese dominance, the Pentagon in recent years took steps to bring domestic rare earth production back to the United States. According to Reuters, in April last year the department funded the construction of a Lynas heavy rare earth metals facility in Texas, which it built through a joint venture with Texas-based Blue Line Corporation.
In November 2020, the Pentagon announced three Defense Production Act awards with rare earth element producers worth more than $12.5 million in total. The Defense Department’s actions on rare earth elements stems from Executive Order 13817, a Trump administration document directing the government to adopt a strategy for critical minerals.
Defense Metals Engages Welsbach Holdings Pte. Ltd. to Advance the Wicheeda Rare Earth Elements Project
Canada NewsWire
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 11, 2021
VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 11, 2021 /CNW/ - Defense Metals Corp. ("Defense Metals") (TSXV: DEFN) (OTCQB: DFMTF) (FSE: 35D) is pleased to announce that it has engaged Welsbach Holdings Pte Ltd. ("Welsbach") to assist in building awareness for its Wicheeda Rare Earth Element (REE) Property ("Wicheeda"), providing physical product market research, introductions to supply chain partners, and assistance in commercial negotiations.
Defense Metals Corp. Logo (CNW Group/Defense Metals Corp.)
The road accessible Wicheeda REE Property is located close to infrastructure approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Prince George, British Columbia (BC). The Wicheeda project has indicated mineral resources of 4,890,000 tonnes averaging 3.02% LREO (Light Rare Earth Elements) and inferred mineral resources of 12,100,000 tonnes averaging 2.90% LREO1. Flotation pilot-plant processing of a 26-tonne bulk sample of Wicheeda REE material yielded a mineral concentrate averaging 7.4% NdPr oxide (neodymium-praseodymium) critical magnet metals2.
Craig Taylor, CEO of Defense Metals, stated: "The engagement of Welsbach will enable Defense Metals to leverage their extensive experience and relationships in the Asia-Pacific region (Australia, Singapore, China, Japan, and South Korea), Continental Europe, and the United States towards engaging in one-on-one discussions with REE refiners and separators. The goal is the successful negotiation of one or more binding commercial REE offtake and/or other supply chain agreements with respect to the Wicheeda REE Deposit. Welsbach will immediately commence its work aiding with respect to strategic partner identification, business introductions, and ultimately commercial negotiations."
Brendan Jephcott, Welsbach's Asia advisory partner said: "We are pleased to engage with Defense Metals Corp. regarding the Wicheeda project. The current global situation requires supply chains to strengthen their resilience and increase their capacity, in order to respond to growing demand. Part of our mission at Welsbach is to support the efforts of junior mining companies and assist them in their commercial processes. Welsbach is a specialist in the Energy Transition Metals Supply Chain and we are keen to bring Defense Metals Corp project to our network of mid and downstream partners".
_____________________________
1 Technical Report on the Wicheeda Property, British Columbia, effective June 27, 2020 and prepared by APEX Geoscience Ltd. (Steven J. Nicholls, B.A. Sc., MAIG and Kristopher J. Raffle, B.Sc., P.Geo) is available under Defense Metals Corp.'s profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com)
2 See Defense Metals News Release dated September 23, 2020
About Welsbach Holdings Pte Ltd.
For more information regarding Welsbach please click here.
Welsbach invests and develops projects that are related to technology materials and clean energy generation. Welsbach has supply chains partners in the upstream and midstream segments; Welsbach also focuses on R&D solutions for industrial consumers in the downstream segment.
Carl Auer Von "Welsbach" was an Austrian scientist who separated didymium into the elements neodymium and praseodymium in 1885. His work on rare-earth elements led to the development of the ferrocerium "flints" used in modern lighters, the gas mantle, which brought light to the streets of Europe in the late 19th century, and the metal-filament light bulb.
About the Wicheeda REE Property
The 1,708 hectare Wicheeda REE Property, located approximately 80 km northeast of the city of Prince George, British Columbia, is readily accessible by all-weather gravel roads and is nearby to infrastructure, including power transmission lines, the CN railway and major highways.
Geologically, the property is situated in the Foreland Belt and within the Rocky Mountain Trench, a major continental geologic feature. The Foreland Belt contains part of a large alkaline igneous province, stretching from the Canadian Cordillera to the southwestern United States, which includes several carbonatite and alkaline intrusive complexes hosting the Aley (niobium), Rock Canyon (REE), and Wicheeda (REE) deposits.
Qualified Person
The scientific and technical information contained in this news release as it relates to the Wicheeda REE Property has been reviewed and approved by Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, a director of Defense Metals and a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Raffle verified the data disclosed which includes a review of the analytical and test data underlying the information and opinions contained therein.
About Defense Metals Corp.
Defense Metals Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition of mineral deposits containing metals and elements commonly used in the electric power market, military, national security and the production of "GREEN" energy technologies, such as, high strength alloys and rare earth magnets. Defense Metals has an option to acquire 100% of the 1,708 hectare Wicheeda Rare Earth Element Property located near Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. Defense Metals Corp. trades in Canada under the symbol "DEFN" on the TSX Venture Exchange, in the United States, under "DFMTF" on the OTCQB and in Germany on the Frankfurt Exchange under "35D".
Some speculation that Fortress #2 SPAC $FAII might be part of the USA deal also...
FEBRUARY 2, 20215:24 PMUPDATED 9 DAYS AGO
Exclusive: USA Rare Earth to explore public offering at value above $1 billion
By Ernest Scheyder
3 MIN READ
(Reuters) - USA Rare Earth LLC has hired bankers to explore going public in a deal that could value the strategic minerals company at more than $1 billion, according to a source familiar with the matter and documents seen by Reuters.
The company, which is developing the Round Top rare earths deposit in Texas, is considering an initial public offering (IPO) or going public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), though it does not plan to issue debt, according to the source and documents.
Any offering is expected to raise between $300 million to $500 million, which would be used in part to finance the Texas mine and processing facility. The company hopes to have it operating by 2023.
Investors are growing more interested in exposure to rare earths, 17 minerals used to build weapons and electronics. China is the world’s largest producer and has threatened to stop exporting these minerals to the United States.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc and BMO are serving as advisors to USA Rare Earths. Company representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Goldman also is handling the company’s negotiations with potential customers.
Reviving domestic rare earths production has become a priority in Washington as relations with China have grown more frayed, and with U.S. lawmakers leery of relying on a rival for critical defense components.
U.S. President Joe Biden has repeatedly said he wants to boost manufacturing, a goal that likely would require more domestically-produced minerals. He plans to issue an executive order this month mandating a review of critical U.S. supply chains, sources separately told Reuters on Tuesday.
USA Rare Earth rival MP Materials Corp, which controls California’s Mountain Pass mine, went public last year in a SPAC deal worth nearly $1.5 billion. Its stock price has more than doubled since its November debut.
A SPAC is a shell company that raises funds in an initial public offering (IPO) with the aim of acquiring a private company, which then becomes public as result of the merger. For the company being acquired, the merger is an alternative way to go public over a traditional IPO.
The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded grants to several rare earths producers in the past year, including MP as well as Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths Ltd , in an attempt to boost domestic production. The Pentagon has not given grants to USA Rare Earth or partners.
USA Rare Earth, which is developing the Texas site with Texas Mineral Resources Corp, has said it does not need U.S. government funding to advance its development plans.
An Overview of Rare Earth Elements and
Related Issues for Congress
November 24, 2020
$TMRC $MP
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46618
Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. and MP Materials Announce Effectiveness of Registration Statement for Proposed Business Combination
Special Stockholder Meeting Scheduled for Friday, November 13th, 2020
October 27, 2020 11:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. (“FVAC”) (NYSE: FVAC), a special purpose acquisition company sponsored by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC (“Fortress”), today announced that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has declared effective the registration statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-248433) (as amended to the date hereof, the ”Registration Statement”), which includes a proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus in connection with its special meeting of stockholders to consider the previously announced business combination (the “Business Combination”) with MP Materials (“MP Materials”). MP Materials is the owner and operator of Mountain Pass, the only rare earth mining and processing site of scale in North America. FVAC has commenced mailing the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus relating to the special meeting, which will be held on Friday, November 13, 2020. The proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus is being mailed to FVAC’s stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 12, 2020 (the “Record Date”). Should the Business Combination be approved by stockholders, FVAC and MP Materials anticipate closing the Business Combination the week of November 16, 2020, subject to satisfaction or waiver of customary closing conditions.
Additional Information About the Business Combination and Where to Find It
The Registration Statement includes a proxy statement in connection with FVAC’s solicitation of proxies for the vote by FVAC’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination and other matters as described in the Registration Statement, and a consent solicitation statement in connection with MP Materials’ and SNR’s solicitation of consent by their respective unitholders in connection with the Business Combination, as well as the prospectus relating to the offer of the securities to be issued to MP Materials’ and SNR’s unitholders in connection with the completion of the Business Combination. FVAC is mailing a definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents to its stockholders as of the Record Date. FVAC’s stockholders and other interested persons are advised to read the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus, in connection with FVAC’s solicitation of proxies for its Special Stockholder Meeting to be held to approve, among other things, the Business Combination, because these documents contain important information about FVAC, MP Materials and the Business Combination. Stockholders may also obtain a copy of the definitive proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus, as well as other documents filed with the SEC regarding the Business Combination and other documents filed with the SEC by FVAC, without charge, at the SEC’s website located at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 46th Floor, New York, New York 10105, Attention: R. Edward Albert III, President (ealbert@fortress.com), CC: Alexander Gillette (agillette@fortress.com).
Participants in the Solicitation
FVAC, MP Materials and certain of their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management and employees may, under SEC rules, be deemed to be participants in the solicitations of proxies from FVAC’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination. Information regarding the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of FVAC’s stockholders in connection with the Business Combination is set forth in proxy statement/consent solicitiation/prospectus as filed with the SEC. You can find more information about FVAC’s directors and executive officers in the Registration Statement. Stockholders, potential investors and other interested persons should read the proxy statement/consent solicitation/prospectus carefully before making any voting or investment decisions. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.
About MP Materials
MP Materials is the owner and operator of the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mining and Processing facility, the only integrated site of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. With over 270 employees, MP Materials produces approximately 15% of global rare earth materials, essential for the development of technologies such as defense systems, smartphones, drones, and electric vehicles. It operates a green mining and processing facility and is currently one of the lowest-cost producers of rare earth concentrate. MP plays a leadership role in advocating for a more robust and competitive rare earths industry in the U.S. More information is available at https://mpmaterials.com/.
About Fortress Value Acquisition Corp.
Fortress Value Acquisition Corp. is a special purpose acquisition company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, and is sponsored by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements included in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of the words such as “ estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “seek,” “target,” or similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical matters. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding estimates and forecasts of other financial and performance metrics and projections of market opportunity and expectations related to the timing of the transaction, including the anticipated closing date for the Business Combination. These statements are based on various assumptions, whether or not identified in this press release, and on the current expectations of MP Materials’ and FVAC’s management and are not predictions of actual performance. These forward-looking statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to serve as, and must not be relied on by any investor as, a guarantee, an assurance, a prediction or a definitive statement of fact or probability. Actual events and circumstances are difficult or impossible to predict and will differ from assumptions. Many actual events and circumstances are beyond the control of MP Materials and FVAC. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; the inability of the parties to successfully or timely consummate the Business Combination; the risk that any required regulatory approvals are not obtained, are delayed or are subject to unanticipated conditions that could adversely affect the combined company or the expected benefits of the Business Combination; the risk that the approval of the stockholders of MP Materials or stockholders of FVAC is not obtained; the risk that any of the conditions to closing are not satisfied in the anticipated manner or on the anticipated timeline; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination; risks relating to the uncertainty of the projected financial information with respect to MP Materials; risks related to the rollout of MP Materials’ business strategy and the timing of expected business milestones; risks related to MP Materials’ arrangements with Shenghe; the effects of competition on MP Materials’ future business; risks related to political and macroeconomic uncertainty; the amount of redemption requests made by FVAC’s public stockholders; the ability of FVAC or the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities in connection with the Business Combination or in the future; the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on any of the foregoing risks; and those factors discussed in the Registration Statement under the heading “Risk Factors,” and other documents of FVAC filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. If any of these risks materialize or our assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that neither FVAC nor MP Materials presently know or that FVAC and MP Materials currently believe are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect FVAC’s and MP Materials’ expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this press release. FVAC and MP Materials anticipate that subsequent events and developments will cause FVAC’s and MP Materials’ assessments to change. However, while FVAC and MP Materials may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, FVAC and MP Materials specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, unless required by applicable law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing FVAC’s and MP Materials’ assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Accordingly, undue reliance should not be placed upon the forward-looking statements.
Disclaimer
This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, or a solicitation of any vote or approval, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This press release relates to a proposed business combination between FVAC and MP Materials.
INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
Contacts
For MP Materials:
Investors:
Ellipsis
Jeff Majtyka / Taylor Krafchik
IR@mpmaterials.com
Media:
Edelman
Julia Sahin
Julia.Sahin@edelman.com
For FVAC:
Gordon E. Runté
Managing Director
Fortress Investment Group LLC
212-798-6082
https://www.fortressvalueac.com/news/2020-10-27-fortress-value-acquisition-corp-and-mp-materials-announce-effectiveness-of-registration-statement-for-proposed-business-combination
Chinese anger at US rare earths order
Washington wants to speed up local production to reduce reliance on Chinese imports
https://www.asiatimesfinancial.com/chinese-anger-at-us-rare-earths-order
USA Rare Earth's Rare Earth & Critical Minerals Pilot Plant Development and Processing Facility Officially Opens
June 11, 2020 06:00 ET | Source: USA Rare Earth LLC
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/06/11/2046717/0/en/USA-Rare-Earth-s-Rare-Earth-Critical-Minerals-Pilot-Plant-Development-and-Processing-Facility-Officially-Opens.html
U.S. Army will fund rare earths plant for weapons development
DECEMBER 11, 2019 / 1:09 AM / UPDATED 14 HOURS AGO
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-rareearths-army-exclusive-idUSKBN1YF0HU
A massive, 'semi-infinite' trove of rare-earth metals has been found in Japanhttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/12/japan-rare-earths-huge-deposit-of-metals-found-in-pacific.html
ARAFF I've been quietly buying here, the two rare earths that this mine primarily consists of have been up big and are direct plays on EV batteries...
I like this one a lot!
https://www.arultd.com/
Check out the moves in Nd and Pr
http://www.kitco.com/strategic-metals/
can anyone give me some good links to follow the antimony market?
prices, blogs, experts, China supply, stocks etc.
China Export Tax Decision to Boost Rare Earth Demand, Lynas Says
by David Stringer
1:42 AM EDT
April 24, 2015
China’s decision to scrap export quotas and taxes on rare earth elements may boost stalled demand for the products, according to Lynas Corp.
Users have been drawing down on stockpiles while awaiting clarity over China’s policy on the export of the elements, Amanda Lacaze, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia-based Lynas, said in an interview. Rare earths are used in everything from cruise missiles to iPads.
“In the short term, a lot of what has been damping demand will be released,” Lacaze said today by phone. “Some customers have been living off inventories and they’ll come back and start placing orders.”
Lynas, one of two major producers outside China, rose as much as 30 percent in Sydney after Molycorp Inc., the largest U.S. producer, jumped 9.4 percent Thursday in New York.
China, which produces about 85 percent of global supply, will remove export tariffs on rare earths from May and in January abandoned its 15-year export quotas after the World Trade Organization ruled the policy violated trade rules.
“If China is committed to eliminating illegal processing and establishing a tax that’s simple to administer then prices will go up, and that will assist companies like Lynas and Molycorp,” said Dudley Kingsnorth, Perth-based executive director at Industrial Minerals Company of Australia Pty. “However, we are not going to see an instant response.”
Siemens, BASF
Molycorp agreed this month to supply Siemens AG with raw materials for wind-turbine generators for 10 years, while Lynas said in filings its customers include Siemens and BASF SE.
Both suppliers are poised to benefit as China moves to consolidate its rare earths sector, close down illegal mines and shutter operations that can’t meet stricter environmental standards, according to Lacaze.
Lynas, which said March was the first month in the company’s history in which it was cash flow positive, is seeking to restructure its debt before September, according to Lacaze. “Whether that’s a combination of agreements with our existing debt providers, a refinancing or otherwise,” she said.
The producer has a $225 million loan facility with Sojitz Corp. and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., with repayments scheduled through June 2016, according to a March filing. It also has $225 million in convertible bonds due in July 2016, the filing said.