Taiwan could deal with China’s tightened export controls on rare earth metals by turning to “urban mining,” a researcher said yesterday.
Rare earth metals, which are used in semiconductors and other electronic components, could be recovered from industrial or electronic waste to reduce reliance on imports, National Cheng Kung University Department of Resources Engineering professor Lee Cheng-han (李政翰) said.
Despite their name, rare earth elements are not actually rare — their abundance in the Earth’s crust is relatively high, but they are dispersed, making extraction and refining energy-intensive and environmentally damaging, he said, adding that many countries have opted to import the materials instead of mining them.
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Over the years, China has poured vast resources into building a vertically integrated rare earth industry with cost advantages, and now controls more than 90 percent of the world’s refining capacity, dominating the global market, he said.
“Industrial and electronic waste often contains higher concentrations of rare earths than natural deposits, and the process generally requires less energy and produces less pollution,” he said.
“As environmental responsibility becomes central to corporate operations, urban mining has gained momentum globally,” he added.
Apple Inc has long operated recycling programs that recover not only precious metals, but also rare earth elements, contributing to circular economy and carbon reduction goals, Lee said.
In response to remarks by US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent that Washington would coordinate with allies in response to China’s rare earths export restrictions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday said that Taiwan is aligning closely with US strategic objectives on various matters.
Taiwan would explore exchanges and cooperation with the US under existing bilateral mechanisms to build a “non-red supply chain” for critical minerals, a foreign affairs official said, adding that this would help strengthen the resilience of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and bolster the nation’s commitment to investment in the US.
Beijing’s restrictions should serve as a wake-up call for countries to recognize the strategic importance of rare earths and accelerate efforts to decouple from China, Institute for National Defense and Security Research cybersecurity director Ho Tseng-yuan (賀增原) said.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has already demonstrated a resolve to do so with measures including investments in various minerals companies, he said.
For example, the US Department of Defense in July acquired a 15 percent stake in MP Materials, and on Oct. 6 announced it had invested US$35.6 million to acquire a 10 percent stake in Canadian mining firm Trilogy Metals, and it is in ongoing talks to acquire an 8 percent stake in Critical Metals, which holds rights to Greenland’s largest rare earth project, he said.
The US Department of Energy is also planning to obtain a 5 percent equity stake in Lithium Americas and its Thacker Pass project, Ho said.
France and Japan have also announced plans to jointly build Europe’s first and largest rare earth recycling plant, expected to begin production by late next year and supply the European automotive and wind power sectors, he said, citing a report by Agence France-Presse.
“China’s moves have prompted nations to re-examine the strategic value of rare earths, accelerate supply chain diversification, and strengthen regional alliances for the mining and refining of critical minerals,” Ho said.
“The concept of urban mining has also already become a key element in global efforts to recycle and restore essential minerals through circular economy practices,” he added.
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