Commentary China’s economy is in desperate straits. So desperate that officials in one county in Guangdong Province offered an illegal bribe to U.S. investors. Any U.S. corporate “decision maker” who brings investment, according to The Wall Street Journal, would get 10 percent of the deal’s total value. A $100 million investment by a U.S. company,…

Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said on Jan. 16 he was disappointed by not having been notified that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would be visiting a Saskatoon rare earth elements processing plant on the same day to promote Canada’s role in that field. Moe called the visit “disappointing, but not surprising” in a statement. “It’s disappointing…

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau touted Canada’s mineral resources while visiting a new rare earth elements processing plant in Saskatoon, saying the country is the perfect alternative to China which has been dominating the market. “People are realizing that this extraordinary transformation that’s going on in our economy towards electric vehicles, towards more high tech, advanced…

Southwest Airlines is facing a Department of Transportation (DOT) probe over its massive flight delays and cancellations. What’s causing the meltdown? We ask an aviation expert. In the latest spending bill, $16 billion in taxpayer money will be spent on lawmakers’ pet projects. We take a close look at where the money is going. Japan…

Japan plans on beginning the extraction of rare earth metals from the region around Minamitorishima Island in 2024 as the country attempts to wean away from depending on China for critical resources. Work on developing extraction technologies for the endeavor will begin next year. The rare earth-rich mud is located on a seafloor at a…

Scientists from the University of Cambridge and their Austrian colleagues have discovered a novel method of making magnets without the use of rare earth metals, an innovation that could offer a possibility for Western countries to veer away from overly depending on China for the tech-critical materials. Researchers found a way to produce tetrataenite, an…

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is taking steps to ensure that American defense companies decouple from supply chains involving China as much as possible. The American military’s reliance on Chinese inputs came into the spotlight earlier in September when the Pentagon halted deliveries of fifth generation F-35 fighter jets after it was found that…

Ottawa sees a massive economic opportunity in creating a battery value chain for green energy and electric vehicles (EVs). Canada has a lot of what’s needed to gain a competitive advantage in this supply chain—the natural resources as well as research and industry expertise. Still, it has a long way to go to overcome challenges…

General Motors has announced two separate deals on Thursday under which the company will develop a domestic supply chain based in the United States for sourcing rare earth magnets, alloys, and materials for its Ultium platform electric vehicles. Indicating a move away from dependence on China, the world’s largest electric vehicle (EV) market, General Motors…

Commentary Closing time Open all the doors and let you out into the world Closing time Turn all of the lights on over every boy and every girl Closing time One last call for alcohol, so finish your whiskey or beer Closing time You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here Semisonic—’Closing…