rare earth metals

The United States, European Union, and Japan have filed complaints with the World Trade Organization (WTO) charging that China is intentionally limiting the export of its rare earth metals in order to give itself a competitive advantage.

In December, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its Critical Materials Strategy, which studied the importance of certain key raw materials in clean energy. 

Rare earth minerals may be the most important resources you've never heard of. They're critical components to just about every clean energy technology, from wind turbines to electric vehicles, and the electronic devices we all use.

Directors, executive officers and other insiders of Molycorp, Inc., (NYSE: MCP) get their first opportunity tomorrow to sell their shares in the company since its initial public offering (IPO) in late July. 

Molycorp is the cornerstone of the U.S. effort to gain a foothold in the production of rare earth elements (REEs), critical ingredients in wind turbines, electric vehicles, thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar system and high-efficiency lighting. 

It has been said that a cleantech revolution is impossible without access to rare earth metals.  Well, Germany is now telling the international community that China, the world's largest miner of rare earth metals, is refusing to trade these elements to certain countries.