Its true. REE extraction, refinement and amalgamation into magnet form are all different stages.
The ore is separated into its shipped product via a leach flotation extraction.This process is often done by the mining company eg GGG
Further a complex set of steps are followed at an extraction facility to separate the product into their rare earth products.Often the issue here is the process is rather specific to the source. So the only plant currently in operation outside Chiina is Lynas which focuses on their resource at Mt Weld. At this stage it reaches oxide form which can then be shipped to yet another final facility that intend to further process this base element.That final stage is the making of specific alloys eg the specific EV magnet
Each stage here is mastered by the Chinese. You can see the huge benifit the Chinese have added to the first stage of the process onsite for GGG via greatly enhancing recoveries and project economics. Next step will be the two furthered stages required downstream which, for now, Shenghe/GGG intend to do in China. However GGG and Shenghe have intended, in the MOU, to in future establish the second stage downstream processing facility specific to GGGs resource together outside China. At this stage GGG would become a new world Lynas and pick up the profits from that stage too. Although given the profits in the first stage and mining. Its really not necessary to do so.
So you can see although Greg Barnes in this article makes one claim. You can see its not again exactly truthful in application as it avoids the fact that you can try evade input or taking up the product for downstream processing by China. But you will be doing so at a distinct disadvanatge and long drawn learning curve to achieve it. All to then find you need the Chinese for further refinement or being your end point buyer anyway.
Thats why its nice to have US interest in GGG. But at the end of the day its the Chinese interest that by far allows project advancement.
However if GGG did end up in either a tug of war between the two entities or even better, and possible considering Shenghes conduct elsewhere, in partnership with the US with a Chinese non state run company. Then you are looking at the best of both worlds with EU support. Which would be quite a world first in its design beyond MP where the partnership was capped. Either path here would look to add considerable international interest, attention and Greenland processing pressure for GGG. Perhaps thats why some people try to play the entire storey down. As if either eventuation did actually occur. GGG may well leave them even further behind in the dust. .
