Searching beyond China--As China limits the supply of rare earths, the hunt for deposits of strategic metals gain pace

摘要

STRATEGIC metals are those commodities that are required for the economic development and national defence of a country. Such commodities are used in a wide range of applications (jet engines, atomic plants and military weapons, for example), and will certainly include cobalt, lithium, manganese, molybdenum, titanium, uranium, zirconium and many of the 17 rare earth elements (REE). Unfortunately most of these strategic metals are not widely available geographically, and deposits offering secure delivery to western markets carry a significant valuation premium. Companies holding such deposits will benefit from ensuring investors are aware of the value of these assets.