Japanese trading house Sojitz Corp. said Friday it will expand imports of rare earth elements from Australia to diversify supply sources of the strategically critical materials essential to high-tech industries in a market dominated by China.Sojitz said in a press release that it will begin importing samarium in the April-June quarter. The rare earth metal is used in nuclear reactor control rods and powerful magnets for transportation, defense and commercial technologies.In the first commercial production of samarium outside China, the ore will be extracted from a mine in Western Australia …READ FULL ARTICLE
