China tightens rules for rare earths mining and refining, spells out fines for breaches
- Government departments will factor in environmental protection and resource security to industrial chain management
In a document released on Saturday, the State Council said the new rules would come into effect on October 1.
The regulation spells out that the resources belong to the state and that “no organisation or individual may encroach upon or damage” them.
To improve oversight of the industrial chain, government agencies will coordinate and manage the mining and refining of the ores and ensure that the products can be traced.
The regulation is designed to protect and “rationally develop” rare earth resources while safeguarding the environment and securing the country’s resources, according to the document.
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China is the world’s top producer of rare earth elements, a group of more than a dozen metals essential to modern technologies ranging from electric vehicles to wind turbines, robots and military weapons.
