Rare earths essential for manufacturing and technologies including automotive, energy, electronics, defense, medical imaging, refining; some elements expected to be in short supply as demand grows
According to a new IHS Chemical (NYSE: IHS) global market research report, a growing global dependence upon a multitude of diverse technologies—including computers, smart phones, TVs, lighting systems, hybrid automobiles, life-saving medical technologies, offshore wind turbines, petroleum refining, microwave communications and laser-guided missile defense systems -- has left manufacturers and countries vulnerable to the availability and uninterrupted supply (largely from China) of some key elements used to produce these technologies, called rare earths.