稀土資源供應短缺影響與因應的研究

Analysis on the Impact of and Responses to the Global Undersupply of Rare Earth Resources

稀土包括十七種金屬元素，是用來生產電動汽車、風力發電機、手機、電腦等高科技產品不可或缺的原料；中國大陸的稀土供給占世界的九成以上，近年來採取限制稀土出口等措施，導致國際稀土價格高漲。中國大陸在十二五規畫期間（2011-2015年），針對稀土採取限制稀土開採、限制出口廠商與進行稀土儲備等政策，因此將繼續影響世界稀土的供給。歐美日等主要國家因應中國大陸的稀土強化政策，均積極採取減量、回收、替代，以及開拓新供應來源等因應措施。目前台灣對稀土的需求量不大，主要是集中在稀土永磁馬達、拋光粉及螢光劑，受到稀土漲價的直接影響較小，但受到進口稀土加工材料及零組件上漲的間接衝擊較大。鑑於長期間稀土價格可能持續上漲，我國應強化稀土儲備、有效利用稀土、國際技術開發合作，以提高國內稀土材料供應的自主能力，縮小受到國際影響的層面。

Rare earth metals, comprising 17 elements in the periodic table, are essential raw materials for producing high-tech products such as electric cars, wind turbines, mobile phones and computers. In recent years, international prices of rare-earth metals have risen sharply due to export restrictions adopted by mainland China, which provides more than 90 percent of the global supply of these resources. In its twelfth Five-Year Plan (2011~2015), the mainland government has mapped out policies for restricting the extraction, use in export manufacture, and holding in reserve of rare-earth metals. These policies will continue to exert an impact on the global supply of rare-earth metals. Advanced countries in Europe, North America and North Asia have responded to this by actively instituting measures to recycle, replace and reduce use of rare-earth metals, as well as to open up new sources of supply. At present, there is little demand for rare-earth metals in Taiwan, where its use is mainly concentrated in the manufacture of permanent-magnet motors, polishing powder, and fluorescent agents. Hence, Taiwan will feel little direct impact from the rising prices of rare-earth metals, but will feel a greater indirect impact from the rising prices of materials and parts in which rare-earth metals are used. Since the prices of rare-earth metals can be expected to continue rising in the long term, Taiwan ought to strengthen the stockpiling and efficient use of these metals, and step up international cooperation in technology development, with a view to raising its self-dependency in rare-earth metals supply and softening the impact of undersupply in the international rare-earth metals market.