Japan Calls on China to Resume Full Shipments of Rare Earths, NHK Reports

26/10/2010 12:00 - 400 Views

Japanese Trade Minister Akihiro Ohata called on China to resume full shipments of rare earths to Japan, national broadcaster NHK reported today, citing the minister.
The comments came after China, which controls more than 90 percent of world supply, cut export quotas of the materials used in Toyota Motor Corp. hybrid cars as well as disk drives and batteries.
Ohata today met Chinese delegates including Zhang Xiaoqiang, vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country’s top economic planning agency, Kyodo News reported separately today.
“Promoting cooperation between the two countries on energy saving and the environment forms an integral part of our strategic partnership and it will help resolve disputes surrounding the two nations,” Kyodo quoted Zhang as saying at an energy forum today in Tokyo.

Oct 24, 2010 10:37 AM GMT+0700
By Yasuhiko Seki
Source: bloomberg.com