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TMR provides market intelligence, commentary and analysis on the rare earths, graphite and other critical and strategic materials. We help companies, governments, agencies and individuals do their homework and due diligence, on the challenges and opportunities associated with these materials.

From my perspective, the natural evolution and expansion of global free-market capitalism into mainland China was disrupted by the reforms of Deng Xiaoping about 25 years ago. By fiat he created a centrally commanded version of capitalism in which it appeared that domestic Chinese costs (of both skilled and unskilled labor) were lower than those in the then-developed world. We now know that this was only a perception (an artifact), due to virtual and actual subsidies paid by the Chinese local, provincial, and national governments, to 'kick-start' and then maintain what turned out to be a massive export-driven Chinese national economy.

The 'reforms' of Deng were labeled Capitalism with Chinese characteristics and they worked. However, the logical, foreseeable consequences of the subsidy program (invisible to foreigners but known to insiders), namely the economic cancers of over-capacity and over-supply, also began. Its consequences are now sharply curtailing the rate of growth of the Chinese economy, and the impact of these consequences is also to hold back the global 'recovery' from the debt-fueled Western economic collapse of 2007.
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I recently updated the TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index, to reflect a name change. The effective date of the update is May 20, 2013 May 16, 2013. The specifics:

  • On March 7, 2013, Galileo Resources PLC (AIM:GLR) announced an update to the SAMREC-compliant mineral-resource estimate for the Glenover project in South Africa. According to the executive summary of the associated preliminary economic assessment, 7.4 Mt of the resource is at the Indicated level @ 2.20% TREO and 3.0 Mt is at the Inferred level @ 1.96% TREO (cut-off grade not specified).
  • On May 16, 2013, Crossland Uranium Mines Limited (ASX:CUX), co-developer of the Charley Creek project in Australia, announced a name change to Crossland Strategic Metals Limited, while maintaining the same ticker symbol.

The Index currently consists of 51 rare-earth mineral resources, associated with 46 advanced rare-earth projects and 44 different companies, located in 32 different regions within 15 different countries.

I have also updated the pricing used in the Index data, to reflect the average monthly prices for April 2013.

You can access the updated details via the Index page.

Last updated on May 20, 2013 to reflect additional update on Glenover project.

Disclosure: at the time of writing, Gareth Hatch holds no shares or stock options in any of the companies mentioned in this article, or in any publicly traded rare-earth company, nor is he doing paid consulting for any such company.

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March 2013 Updates To The TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index

by Gareth Hatch April 17, 2013

I recently updated the list of projects on the TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index, to reflect a new addition and three resource updates. The effective date of the update is April 15, 2013. The specifics: On January 31, 2013, Seltenerden Storkwitz AG announced a maiden JORC-compliant resource estimate for the Storkwitz project in Germany. According to the associated [...]

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A Visit To The Quest Rare Minerals Mini-Pilot Plant For The Strange Lake Project

by Gareth Hatch March 23, 2013

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the mini-pilot plant set up by Quest Rare Minerals Ltd. (TSX:QRM, MKT:QRM) for materials that come from their Strange Lake B-Zone project in northern Quebec. The plant, in Mississauga, Ontario, is hosted and operated by Process Research Ortech Inc, in conjunction with the process [...]

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A Visit To The Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) In Australia

by Gareth Hatch March 17, 2013

During a visit to Australia last month, I had the opportunity to visit the Commonwealth Scientific And Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the country's main governmental organization for scientific research and development. More specifically, I visited CSIRO's Materials Science & Engineering Division in Lindfield, New South Wales, about eight miles north of Sydney. CSIRO is well [...]

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February 2013 Updates To The TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index

by Gareth Hatch March 9, 2013

I recently updated the list of projects on the TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index, to reflect a new addition. The effective date of the update is March 8, 2013. The specifics: On February 27, 2013, Tasman Metals Ltd. (TSX.V:TSM, MKT:TAS, F:T61) announced an initial NI 43-101-compliant mineral-resource estimate for the Olserum project in Sweden. According to the associated [...]

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A Visit To The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant

by Jack Lifton March 7, 2013

A milestone was reached by Lynas Corporation last Wednesday, February 27, 2013, at the company's Lynas Advanced Materials' Plant, known as the LAMP, when the plant's solvent-extraction (SX) system produced the first results of its initial run, 200 kg of SEG (samarium-europium-gadolinium) carbonate. The next day La-Ce (lanthanum-cerium) mixed carbonates were delivered by the system. [...]

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January 2013 Updates To The TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index

by Gareth Hatch February 17, 2013

I recently updated the list of projects on the TMR Advanced Rare-Earth Projects Index, to reflect a number of updates. The effective date of the updates is February 15, 2013. The specifics: On November 1, 2012, Search Minerals Inc. (TSX.V:SMY) announced an updated NI 43-101-compliant mineral-resource estimate for the Foxtrot project in Canada. According to the associated press [...]

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January 2013 Updates To The TMR Advanced Graphite Projects Index

by Gareth Hatch February 16, 2013

I recently updated the TMR Advanced Graphite Projects Index, to reflect a new mineral-resource estimate which were announced recently. I also made some other updates. The effective date of the updates is February 14, 2013. The specifics: On January 23, 2013, Syrah Resources Ltd. (ASX:SYR) announced a maiden JORC-compliant resource estimate for its Balama West [...]

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More Shenanigans With Chinese Rare-Earth Export Statistics

by Gareth Hatch January 23, 2013

In the last day or two it has been widely reported that the total quantity of rare earths exported from China in 2012 was 16,265 t, per statistics from "Hong Kong-based China Customs Statistics Information Service Center", with this figure representing "a drop of 3.5% compared to the year before", i.e. 2011. This would mean [...]

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