Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

THE GEOPOLITICS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS: EMERGING CHALLENGE FOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMICS

THE GEOPOLITICS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS: EMERGING CHALLENGE FOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMICS Rare earth elements (REE) contain unique chemical and physical properties such as lanthanum, are found in small concentrations, need extensive precise processes to separate, and are critical components of modern technologies such as laser guidance systems, personal electronics such as IPhones, satellites, and military weapons systems as varied as Virginia-class fast attack submarines, DDG- 51 Aegis destroyers, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and precision guided munitions. The U.S. has some rare earth resources, but is heavily dependent on access to them from countries as varied as Afghanistan, Bolivia, and China. Losing access to these resources would have significant adverse economic, military, and political implications for the U.S. and its allies if their supply sources are restricted or eliminated. This article will examine the critical strategic importance of these resources, the historical origins and contemporary development of U.S. policy toward strategic minerals, and how multiple U.S. Government agencies are involved in this emerging policymaking arena. It features significant use of U.S. and foreign government statistics and analyses and scholarly journal literature. It will conclude by suggesting efforts to limit the severity of this problem to the U.S.’ economy and national security interests. JEL codes: B22; E02; L16; O11 Keywords: rare earth elements; strategic minerals; geopolitics; national security; international security; supply chain security; national security policymaking. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics Addleton Academic Publishers

THE GEOPOLITICS OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS: EMERGING CHALLENGE FOR U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMICS

Download PDF
42 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/addleton-academic-publishers/the-geopolitics-of-rare-earth-elements-emerging-challenge-for-u-s-UeYXO7rJIf

References

References for this paper are not available at this time. We will be adding them shortly, thank you for your patience.

Publisher
Addleton Academic Publishers
Copyright
© 2009 Addleton Academic Publishers
ISSN
2329-4175
eISSN
2377-0996
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Rare earth elements (REE) contain unique chemical and physical properties such as lanthanum, are found in small concentrations, need extensive precise processes to separate, and are critical components of modern technologies such as laser guidance systems, personal electronics such as IPhones, satellites, and military weapons systems as varied as Virginia-class fast attack submarines, DDG- 51 Aegis destroyers, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and precision guided munitions. The U.S. has some rare earth resources, but is heavily dependent on access to them from countries as varied as Afghanistan, Bolivia, and China. Losing access to these resources would have significant adverse economic, military, and political implications for the U.S. and its allies if their supply sources are restricted or eliminated. This article will examine the critical strategic importance of these resources, the historical origins and contemporary development of U.S. policy toward strategic minerals, and how multiple U.S. Government agencies are involved in this emerging policymaking arena. It features significant use of U.S. and foreign government statistics and analyses and scholarly journal literature. It will conclude by suggesting efforts to limit the severity of this problem to the U.S.’ economy and national security interests. JEL codes: B22; E02; L16; O11 Keywords: rare earth elements; strategic minerals; geopolitics; national security; international security; supply chain security; national security policymaking.

Journal

Journal of Self-Governance and Management Economics – Addleton Academic Publishers

Published: Jan 1, 2017

There are no references for this article.