New rare earth plant shows strength of Japan-France cooperation
France and Japan broke new ground in March in a shared quest to bolster resilience in critical mineral supply chains amid growing geopolitical uncertainty.
In a remote corner of southwest France, the first stone was laid in a project to extract heavy rare earths, notably dysprosium and terbium, from mineral concentrates and recycled magnets — the first such venture outside of China.
If all goes to plan, the facility backed by French and Japanese public and private financing could account for up to 15% of global oxide production of these two metals once it becomes operational at the end of next year.
The project shows how partnerships based on common interests can provide precious opportunities even in the face of unilateral pressures and the increasing weaponization of supply chains — not only to increase supply chain resilience, but improve environmental sustainability.
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>Read the full editorial on The Japan Times.
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