Japan ‘rare earth’ haul to cut China reliance

TOKYO, Japan, Apr (AFP): The discovery of potentially millions of tons of valuable "rare earth" elements in sea sludge off Japan has raised hopes that Asia's number-two economy can reduce its dependence on Chinese supply.

But experts warn that extracting the minerals-used in technology ranging from mobile phones to electric vehicles-is both costly and difficult, especially when buried miles deep in the ocean.

A Japanese study published last week revealed an estimated 16 million tons of rare earths, enough to feed global demand on a "semi-infinite" basis, with deposits to last hundreds of years.