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Rare metals and rare earths
Rare earths of a lanthanum subset, or lanthanides, are applied in production of permanent magnets, in iron and steel industry and non-ferrous metallurgy, in nuclear, electronic, chemical and other industries. |
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Non-metals
Non-metals are chemical elements that form simple elements with no
metal-specific qualities. Non-metals typically include 22 elements: gases - hydrogen,
nitrogen,
oxygen, fluor, chlorine and inert gases; liquids - bromine; solids - boron, carbon,
silicon, phosphorus,
arsenic, sulphur,
selenium, tellurium, iodine, astatine. |
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China 2008 Refined Copper Imports May Plunge |
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China's refined copper imports, the world's biggest, may plunge next year as domestic output increases, Beijing Antaike Information Development Co. said.
Imports may decline 43 percent to 800,000 metric tons from an estimated 1.4 million tons this year, according to slides to be presented by Yang Changhua, Antaike's chief copper analyst, at a conference in Kunming today. Imports were 827,000 tons in 2006.
China, the world's fastest-growing major economy, is the biggest consumer of copper, used in wires and pipes. The country's gross domestic product expanded 11.5 percent in the third quarter.
Domestic production of refined copper may rise 14.7 percent to 3.9 million tons next year from 3.4 million tons this year, the prepared slides show.
Apparent demand for the metal will rise next year to 4.58 million tons, compared with an estimated 4.21 million tons in 2007 and 3.85 million tons in 2006, according to the slides Apparent demand is calculated from imports, exports and output.
Exports next year will fall 17.9 percent to 156,000 tons from an estimated 190,000 tons this year and 243,000 tons in 2006, the slides show. back |
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