Itochu Corp. will launch a business in November to recover critical minerals from used smartphones and computers and resell the materials, sources close to the matter said Tuesday, as Japan seeks to strengthen domestic resource recycling.The move comes amid growing concern about rare earth supplies due to China's export controls as well as rising demand for semiconductor materials amid rapid growth in artificial intelligence.To launch the business, Itochu unit Belong Inc. and a major U.S. IT equipment recycler set up an equal-stakes joint venture in April. The venture will begin operating a…READ FULL ARTICLE
