Source : Procurement Leaders
Japan has urged for more international dialogue with China in order to mitigate rare earth sourcing challenges.
Speaking at the EU-Japan-US conference on critical materials in Tokyo, Keiro Kitagami, vice minister at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry told Bloomberg Businessweek that “The supply chain of rare-earth related products is connected globally.
“Problems with rare earths are a common global challenge,” he added.
Rare earth metals are used in a range of products from cruise missiles to wind turbines and this conference comes after the US, EU and Japan made a complaint to the World Trade Organisation about the export restrictions placed on the metals by China.
China has said that these restrictions are in place to both protect resources and the environment. But vice minister Kitagami said how important it is "to continue dialogue with China."
“We are ready to cooperate with China in environmental protection, if this indeed is the real reason for reducing exports,” he said.