US to reduce dependence on China for rare earth supply  

美重整稀土战略掀探寻开采热潮 欲摆脱对华依赖

Houston (CNS) -- A rush to find rare earths, which can be used to make key components of electronics, has begun in the US as the country tries to get over its dependence on China's supply of those resources.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Department of Energy are on a nationwide scramble for deposits of the elements that make magnets lighter, bring balanced hues to fluorescent lighting and color to the touch screens of smartphones, in order to break the Chinese stranglehold on those supplies.

Rare earth elements such as neodymium and lanthanum were discovered long after the gold rush, but demand for them only took off over the past 10 years as electronics became smaller and more sophisticated.

The United States has the second-biggest deposits of rare earth minerals in the world, after China. However, due to environmental and cost considerations, the US has long been relying on China's supply of those resources.

A report by the US General Accounting Office shows that rebuilding the rare earth supply chain in the US could take 15 years.