Rare earth metals and China

Comments on Ming Hwa Ting “Rare metals after the Japanese nuclear crisis”, May 14th, 2011, http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/05/14/rare-metals-after-the-japanese-nuclear-crisis/

Can the author supply some hard data on the world rare earth market please, including consumption, production and prices?

Have the prices of rare earth metals been relatively higher or lower than that of other commodities like oil, coal and iron ore, in recent years?

That sort of information would be more helpful to readers than the media rhetoric and west countries' banging on China's restriction on supply/exports.

China, as a main source of supply of rare earth metals, has the right to consider the prices of those metals, for both environmental and economic reasons, just as private companies do.

That is particularly the case given that China has been faced with huge environmental problems with relatively low net benefits.