Australia Says Advancing Talks With U.S. on Rare Earths Mines

Australia is advancing separate talks with the U.S., Japan and South Korea over the development of local rare earths mining projects in an effort to bolster production outside China, which dominates the output of the materials.

Rare earths, a group of 17 elements needed in components for missile systems to consumer electronics, had been flagged as a potential weapon in the U.S.-China trade tensions, focusing attention on work to develop new sources of supply.