중국 희토류 사건에 대한 국제통상법적 고찰

With its literal meaning, rare earth refers to metals whose total content is under300ppm(300/1,000,000) in the crust. As its uses are expanding more and more, itis regarded as one of the essential resources in high-tech products including mobilephones, semiconductors, and hybrid cars. It has thus earned such modifiers as “vitaminof the high-tech industries” and “necessity of the green industry.”China produces 85% of rare earth today and has 50% of the global reserve. Responsiblefor most of rare earth production in the world, the country is attempting to take advantageof rare earth as a weapon for its resource diplomacy by putting a series of regulationsto restrict rare earth exports in the front in order to prevent environmental contaminationinvolving rare earth production and take the leadership to determine the prices ofrare earth in the future. In response to its movement, the United States, EU and Japan each sued Chinaat the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, arguing that its policy of forbidding rare earthexports was a violation of WTO rules. It was announced, however, that they lostthe case in the AB stage recently. The nations around the world are sharply confronting each other over the resourceissues lately. Korea depends on the Middle East and Russia for the import of oiland natural gas with 100% of their rare earth elements imports depending on China. In recent years, it has actively promoted the expansion of cooperative channels amongthe regions, the conclusion of free trade agreements, and the increase of aid volumesin order to maintain its political and economic relationships with Africa on an ongoingbasis.