Latest news with #magnets
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Business
- Reuters
What to know about China's rare earth export controls
BEIJING, June 4 (Reuters) - Global manufacturers have raised the alarm on China's decision to curb exports of rare earths alloys, mixtures and magnets. Here is an overview of rare earths and China's measures: Rare earths are a group of 17 silvery-white elements. One of their most important uses is in making magnets that power motion for cars, cell phones, missiles and other electronics. While not rare in the sense of being uncommon, they tend to occur in small quantities or mixed with other minerals, making extraction difficult and costly. China mines about 60% of the world's rare earths and makes 90% of rare earth magnets. It sets quotas on output, smelting, and separation, which are monitored as a barometer of global supply. One of the most difficult processing steps is separating individual rare earths from each other. While U.S. scientists helped developed a process called solvent extraction in the 1950s, radioactive waste made it unpopular in the United States. Spurred by the government, China has expanded the industry since the 1980s, spending the last 30 years mastering solvent extraction, while cheap labour and relatively lax environmental standards give it a cost advantage. China has put bans, opens new tab on its technologies for separating rare earths as well as producing magnets. New separation technologies are being developed but are not yet widely used. On April 4, China added seven of the 17 rare earths metals - such as samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium-related items - to a list of export controls two days after President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs took U.S. trade barriers to their highest in a century. Exporters have to apply for a licence that industry sources say can take two to three months or longer, and shipments have been halted at many Chinese ports as applications are processed. On May 13, China agreed to remove recent non-tariff countermeasures issued after April 2, which includes the rare earth curbs, as part of a temporary tariff deal, U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer said. However, since then, Greer has said China was "slow-rolling" their removal, and Trump complained that China violated the deal. China has defended its export curbs as "non-discriminatory" and not targeted at any specific country. The foreign ministry told media on Friday that China was ready for talks on the issue with relevant nations. Global automakers have warned that the measures could cause production delays and widespread shutdowns because rare earths are employed in key components, such as automatic transmissions and power steering.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
U.S. Dependence on China for Rare Earth Magnets Is Causing Shortages
Two decades ago, factories in Indiana that turned rare earth metals into magnets moved production to China — just as demand for the magnets was starting to soar for everything from cars and semiconductors to fighter jets and robots. The United States is now reckoning with the cost of losing that supply chain. The Chinese government abruptly halted exports of rare earth magnets to any country on April 4 as part of its trade war with the United States. American officials had expected that China would relax its restrictions on the magnets as part of the trade truce the two countries reached in mid-May. But on Friday, President Trump suggested that China had continued to limit access. Now, American and European companies are running out of the magnets. American automakers are the hardest hit, with executives warning that production at factories across the Midwest and South could be cut back in the coming days and weeks. Carmakers need the magnets for the electric motors that run brakes, steering and fuel injectors. The motors in a single luxury car seat, for example, use as many as 12 magnets. Factory robots depend on rare earth magnets, too. 'This is America's, and the world's, Achilles' heel, which China continuously exploits,' said Nazak Nikakhtar, who was the assistant secretary of commerce overseeing export controls during Mr. Trump's first term. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Drive
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
The Next Car Production Crisis Could Be Caused by Magnet Shortage
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Our reliance on rare-earth minerals is creating a problem: materials shortages. This time, the much-needed resource is magnets, which currently face export restrictions from China. An alliance of automakers and suppliers warns that without a trade resolution (i.e., less paperwork would help), production disruptions are inevitable. In a new Reuters report, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) and the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) sent a joint letter to the Trump administration on May 9 about the groups' concerns regarding the availability of rare-earth magnets. A key point of frustration was China's seemingly less-than-expedient effort in issuing export licenses. Without the earth elements, already interrupted assembly lines could find themselves in further turmoil. 'Without reliable access to these elements and magnets, automotive suppliers will be unable to produce critical automotive components,' the groups explained. 'In severe cases, this could include the need for reduced production volumes or even a shutdown of vehicle assembly lines.' These vehicle parts include everything from windshield wiper motors, lights, and automatic transmissions to seatbelts, cameras, and anti-lock braking sensors. So, yeah, pretty much everything. And yet, three weeks later, the situation remains unresolved, said Alliance CEO John Bozzella and MEMA CEO Bill Long to Reuters . The AAI comprises a who's who of automotive manufacturers, such as BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen. MEMA represents more than 1,000 members (consisting of OE and aftermarket parts suppliers.) Switching to a non-China supplier would also be a significant feat when more than 90% of the planet's rare-earth production capacity, a group of 17 elements, is in China. There is one U.S.-based mine located in Oklahoma, but it still relies on China for processing. E-waste recyclers are working on increasing production, however, such expansion will take years, not days or weeks. Regarding magnets specifically, Reuters says that exports from China were down by half in April, largely due to a vague permit application that sometimes calls for 'hundreds of pages of documents.' Ain't nobody got time for that. Furthermore, the U.S. accused China of violating an agreement that temporarily rolls back certain tariffs and other trade restrictions. In return, China says the U.S. is abusing its export controls within the semiconductor sector. A U.S. official told Reuters that Beijing had promised to issue the rare-earth export licenses, but 'moving slowly' in doing so. And there was potential for Washington retaliation if automotive production were forced to shut down. You know, more than it already has. As the proverb goes, 'When elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.' So, here we are, builders and buyers alike, left holding the bag. Got a tip? Drop us a line at tips@
Globe and Mail
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Ford Stock (NYSE:F) Posts Small Gain After Unexpected Shutdown on Explorers
The Ford Explorer might be one of the biggest developments at legacy automaker Ford (F) since the Mustang, or even the Model T. It represented a fundamental change in the way people bought cars that is still reflected today. And recently, the Ford Explorer found its production halted for want of one very important and very unlikely nail. That revelation did not slow down Ford shareholders, though, as they gave shares a fractional boost in Thursday afternoon's trading. Confident Investing Starts Here: The nail in question? Magnets. Reports noted that a Ford factory in Chicago that specializes in Ford Explorers had to briefly shut down after a supplier could not get Ford a needed load of small magnets. The magnets in question, as it turns out, were Chinese-made. Though the shutdown did not last long, reports noted, it was still enough to shut things down for a while. Production, however, started up again just recently. This news comes at a bad time for Ford, as it turns out that Ford dealers have a lot fewer Explorers on their lots than they—or their customers—would like. Generally, dealers like to keep a 60-day supply on hand, with 15 days in transit, at any given time to ensure that there is a car ready for the most customers. But Ford dealers had just 48 days' worth of Explorers on hand to kick off May, and when you throw in that brief production slowdown, that might cause a hiccup going into July sales. That could be a problem, given Fourth of July sales events. One For the Marketing Team Meanwhile, in a move that could well offer some benefits for the Ford marketing operations, new reports emerged that one of Ford's top names—John Lawler, the vice-chair of Ford's board of directors—has a specific car as his daily driver of choice: the Ford Mustang Mach-E. This effort may change some minds, especially given that Lawler is almost certainly driving this daily driver on Michigan roads in the wintertime, which can be a terrible combination for electric vehicles. Couple enhanced demand on the battery—it has to run not only the engine but also the heating system—with an environment that reduces battery charge and it could be a recipe for trouble. But Lawler seems to have no trouble here, despite noting that 'range anxiety' is a problem that requires pre-planning trips to work around effectively. Is Ford Stock a Good Buy Right Now? Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on F stock based on two Buys, 12 Holds and three Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 13.59% loss in its share price over the past year, the average F price target of $9.71 per share implies 4.66% downside risk. See more F analyst ratings Disclosure Disclaimer & Disclosure Report an Issue
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Doctors warn of magnetic toy risk to children
About 300 children a year are admitted to A&E in the UK after swallowing magnets, a new study has found. The University of Southampton research revealed that one in 10 children required life saving operations after consuming the items, which are commonly used in toys. Lead author and professor of paediatric surgery Nigel Hall, who works at the University and Southampton Children's Hospital, said retailers must do more to increase warnings on magnetic toy labels. "Having an unplanned emergency operation is a traumatic experience for any child and their family," he said. Mr Hall added that some of the young people ended up "with serious problems, like needing part of their bowel removed or requiring a stoma". The data was provided by 66 UK hospitals between May 2022 and April 2023. The study also found that 6% of swallowing cases were linked to viral social media trends, where the children – mostly girls - were trying to imitate tongue piercings by placing small magnets in their mouths. Mr Hall stressed that children should be taken to emergency departments early if they swallow a magnet. "Most children who have swallowed a magnet do not show any symptoms, so it is really important that all cases have an x-ray to find out for certain," he said. The research has been welcomed by the Child Accident Prevention Trust which focuses on preventing death and serious injury to young people from avoidable accidents. Its chief executive Katrina Phillips said: "These super strong magnets can rip through a child's guts and leave them with life-changing injuries. One boy has died. "Take a moment to check who you're buying from. Don't assume that, just because you can buy something, it must be safe." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Big drop in child surgery for swallowed objects Girl, 6, needed surgery after swallowing magnets Boy's gut partly removed after swallowing magnets University of Southampton
