“It’s important to remember, though, that while China may have a competitive advantage in rare earths, it does not have a stranglehold.  There are other sources of supply; they may not be as cost-effective, but they are available — and customers concerned about China’s reliability as a supplier might be willing to pay a bit for some alternatives.”

Very interesting article on the “Politics of Rare Earth” from Patrick Chovanec, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Economics and Management in Beijing, China.