China Controls Mining, Production of Fluorites and Clay   

Through a series of statement, China started to control the fast consuming of rare resources - high alumina clay (including bauxite and refractory clay) and fluorites. The State Administration of Taxation announced on May 11th that the resource tax rate for these two mineral resources will be raised from current RMB3 per ton to RMB20 per ton, effective June 1st, 2010. The resource tax for other refractory clays will be raised to RMB6 per tons.
   The Ministry of Land and Resources of China issued on April 20th the 2010 mining quota for high alumina clay and fluorites. The national total mining quota for high alumina clay and fluorites are 4.5 million tons and 11 million tons, respectively, both counting on the physical weight of minerals.
   In fact, in early January this year, the Ministry of Land and Resources stopped approving new applications and registrations for the mining of high alumina clay and fluorite. China's seven authorities jointly issued the entry standard (conditions) for the high alumina clay industry on February 22nd and issued the entry standards for the fluorite industry on March 19th (CCR2010 No.8 page 12).