Author: Ming Hwa Ting, The University of Adelaide

A recent publication in Nature Geoscience, announcing the detection of significant deposits of rare earth elements in the seabeds of the Eastern and Southern Pacific Ocean, has resulted in media outlets reporting the deposits are ‘readily extractable’, the BBC reporting the deposits could be as large as 100 billion tons.

Such optimism is unwarranted, and the veracity of these media reports cannot be established, at least from the actual July paper which in fact avoided such bold claims. Read more…

Author: Ming Hwa Ting, University of Adelaide

An unfortunate consequence of Japan’s nuclear disaster in Fukushima is that global enthusiasm for nuclear energy has been diminished, at least in the short-term.

And an often overlooked side effect here is the likely spike in demand for rare metals. Read more…

Author: Ming Hwa Ting, University of Adelaide

Following Chinese restrictions on exports to Japan after the Senkaku maritime incident in September the spotlight has remained on rare earth metals. But it is difficult to ascertain the details of the restrictions as the Chinese government did not impose an official ban.

Disruptions in the supply chain, according to the Chinese government, were due to the private actions of rare metals exporters. In China, there are 32 companies with a licence to export rare metals, of which 10 are foreign owned. Although Japan’s detention of the Chinese trawler captain may have roused the ire of Chinese firms, it is hard to see why foreign-owned companies would react likewise. Read more…

Author: Ming Hwa Ting, University of Adelaide

During the eighteenth and nineteenth century, there was a great deal of competition between European powers, such as Britain and the Netherlands, to expand their influence and control in Southeast Asia. The region provided many economical advantages including the highly lucrative spice trade. What is unique about spices is that only a little amount is needed to preserve and improve the taste of food. However, with the advent of refrigeration, demand for spices decreased as new and more effective methods of food preservation were found, in consequence spices became less valuable.

Currently, there are signs that a new ‘spice war’ is on the horizon. Read more…