Massive Discovery of Rare Earth Minerals Threatens China’s Monopoly

A discovery of rare earth minerals found off the coast of Japan has the potential to transform the global economy – and severely impact China’s hold on the market.

The deep-sea mud is riddled with ‘rare-earth elements and yttrium’ (REY) which are instrumental in the technological industries that drive the global economy.

“Applications of REY span a wide range, including hybrid vehicles, rechargeable batteries, wind turbines, light emitting diodes, compact fluorescent lamps, screen display panels, and many medical and military technologies,” says researcher Yutaro Takaya.