Those who have worked in the business as long as I have will easily remember the rare earth mania of 2008-11. For about three years following China's export restrictions on rare earth elements, which hiked the prices of REEs to record highs, the junior resource market was awash with new rare earth explorers. These tiny companies fanned out across (mostly) Canada, the US and Australia in search of the next rare earths motherlode that would break the world's dependence on China, which then and now has a monopoly - the country either mines or processes something like 95% of the 17 rare earth elements (REEs) and turns them into oxides, then continues the process of making high-purity metals, alloys and powders that are used in everything from cell phones, flat-screen TVs, permanent magnets, and lasers, to wind turbines, nuclear reactors and missile guidance systems. Click here for a more comprehensive list

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