MIIT Proposed Entry Conditions for Rare Earth Industry      

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has collected public suggestions on May 13th-28th against its proposed entry conditions for the rare earth industry. The entry threshold aims to control capacity expansion and eliminate companies below certifications.     
   The proposed entry conditions require the light rare earth mining companies to have a minimum capacity of 300 000 t/a, the ionic type rare earth mining companies to have a minimum capacity of 3 000 t/a REO and the rare earth metallurgy and processing companies 1 500 t/a.  
   MIIT also designed requirements on wastes treatment, processing technologies, energy consumption, the recovering rate in mining, the losing rate in exploration and the recycling rate of waste water.
   The Ministry of Land and Resources recently held a meeting to discuss storing rare earth resources by the state. However, the authorities have not made decision on storing mineral concentrates or refined products.
   Anyhow, China's leading rare earths company Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-earth (Group) Hi-tech Co Ltd has started to store rare earth from April. The company reportedly plans to store 300 000 tons of mineral concentrates and 80 000 tons rare earths oxides in five years. Some experts thought the best way is to reduce production.  
   It is expected that the global demand for rare earths will increase to 140 000 tons in 2010 from 90 000 tons in 2009, driving by the boosting sectors of new energy and environmental protection. The global supply is expected to be between 100 000 tons and 130 000 tons, according to an expert.