中国の非鉄金属政策と我が国への影響について

Abstract

In this paper, China's policy on non-ferrous metals is analyzed. China is one of the largest producers and consumers of non-ferrous metals. Especially, it is the largest producer of many kinds of rare metals including rare earths, tungsten and indium. Since Japan heavily depends on China for these metals which are indispensable for high-tech applications, any change in China's policy on metals is likely to affect Japan's manufacturing industries and economy as a whole.Official Chinese documents including Five-Year Plan seem to show that China has two types of metal policy. One is to ensure a stable supply of base metals as their supply-demand situation is getting tighter. To this end, China encourages foreign companies to take part in the development of base metal mines in China, and also encourages Chinese companies to acquire greater amount of metals from abroad. The other is to control production and export of some rare metals. It appears that China aims to make its domestic industry more value-added by limiting outflows of raw materials. Measures such as export quotas and export taxes seem to be taken by China toward this end. The policy above will have a strong impact on metal supply as well as metal prices. This is particularly true for several rare metals that China almost dominates the world market in. Given these circumstances, Japan has to work hard to ensure a stable supply of rare metals. The actions we need to take include diversification of metal sources, recycling, R&D activities for material substitution, and close dialogue with China. Also, further examination will be needed as to the consistency of China's export control with the WTO.