https://agmetalminer.com/2021/09/29/department-of-commerce-launches-section-232-neodymium-magnets-probe/https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/us-department-of-commerce-solicits-6403479/The Department of Commerce is asking companies and the public to submit written docs to them by Nov 12, 2021 about a proposed Nd tariff.
COMMENTS REQUESTED
Commerce has invited interested parties to submit comments—including any data, analyses or information pertinent to its investigation—by November 12, 2021.
Although interested parties are free to submit comments on any topic relevant to the investigation, Commerce has expressed particular interest in comments addressing the following topics:
- Quantity of or other circumstances related to the importation of NdFeB permanent magnets;
- Domestic production and productive capacity needed for NdFeB permanent magnets to meet projected national defense requirements;
- Existing and anticipated availability of human resources, products, raw materials, production equipment and facilities to produce NdFeB permanent magnets;
- Growth requirements of the NdFeB permanent magnets industry to meet national defense requirements and/or requirements for supplies and services necessary to assure such growth, including investment, exploration and development;
- The impact of foreign competition on the economic welfare of the domestic NdFeB permanent magnets industry;
- The displacement of any domestic NdFeB permanent magnets production causing substantial unemployment, decrease in the revenues of government, loss of investment or specialized skills and productive capacity, or other serious effects;
- Relevant factors that are causing or will cause a weakening of the country’s economy; and
- Any other relevant factors, including the use and importance of NdFeB permanent magnets in the following “critical infrastructure sectors”: (1) chemical; (2) commercial facilities; (3) communications; (4) critical manufacturing sector; (5) dams; (6) defense industrial base; (7) emergency services; (8) energy; (9) financial services; (10) food and agriculture; (11) government facilities; (12) healthcare and public health; (13) information technology; (14) nuclear reactors, materials and waste; (15) transportation systems; and (16) water and wastewater systems.
TIMING FOR DECISION
By law, the US Secretary of Commerce (the Secretary) has up to 270 days from initiation, until June 18, 2022, to present Commerce’s findings and recommendations to the President. If the Secretary finds that NdFeB permanent magnets are being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security, the Secretary shall advise the President in her report on the findings of the investigation and recommendations regarding remedy.
Once the Secretary has delivered such a report to the President, the President then has 90 days to decide whether he concurs with the Secretary’s finding. If so, the President determines the nature and duration of the action that must be taken to adjust “the imports of the article and its derivatives” so that such imports will not threaten to impair the national security. Typically, remedies involve tariffs or quantitative restrictions.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/australia-looking-to-diversify-trade-ties-amid-difficulties-with-china-trade-minister-dan-tehan-101633107517025.html
"Tehan said there has been a “lot of movement” in cooperation with India on rare earth minerals, and a key development was an announcement last week by Prime Minister Scott Morrison about Export Finance Australia establishing an Australian $2 billion critical minerals facility to help with exploration and processing of minerals and development of supply chains for exports to countries such as India.
“This will help us be able to develop that partnership between Australia and India in the critical minerals space. There is also a clean technology agreement that has been agreed between Australia and India, and that also will help in the critical minerals space,” he said.
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, the two countries had been exploring the possibility of cooperation in mining and processing rare earth metals such as lithium, neodymium and dysprosium, of which Australia has the world’s sixth largest reserves.
India, which imports more than 90% of the rare earth metals it needs from China, has been looking to diversify sources. In 2016, imports from China were worth $3.4 million. "
(20min delay)