★Top 10 Popular Themes

1 Semiconductors

2 Drones

3 Physical AI

4 Data Centers

5 Space Development

6 Artificial Intelligence

7 Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment

8 Storage Batteries

9 Defense

10 Rare Earths

"Rare Earths" ranked 10th in the "Popular Theme Rankings" compiled by Minkabu and Kabutan.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra, the capital of Australia, on the 4th. During the meeting, the two leaders confirmed further strengthening of relations on securing critical minerals and energy, as well as defense cooperation, and signed the "Japan-Australia Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation," which serves as a strategic guideline for bilateral cooperation. With China's economic coercion using rare earths in mind, the declaration stated that both countries "express strong concern over export restrictions on critical minerals."

Rare earths are a subset of rare metals, which are considered scarce due to their limited availability, and consist of 17 elements including neodymium (Nd) and dysprosium (Dy). They are used in a wide range of applications including electric vehicle (EV) motors, wind turbines, and smartphones, and are considered critical minerals essential for promoting green transformation (GX) and other initiatives. However, because production sites and economically viable extraction locations are concentrated in specific regions, there is a risk that supply could be disrupted by geopolitical risks, making it an urgent issue to secure diverse procurement channels.

Sojitz Corporation <2768> announced on March 13th that it would begin studying the development of a new rare earth mine with Australia's Lynas Rare Earths through Japan-Australia Rare Earths, jointly established with the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC). Marubeni Corporation <8002> disclosed in November 2025 that it had participated in a development study for a critical minerals raw material production project including rare metals and rare earths in Australia, and agreed to acquire partial equity rights after confirming project viability. TOA CORPORATION <1885>, MODEC,INC. <6269>, and TOYO ENGINEERING CORPORATION <6330> should also be noted as related stocks.

Source: MINKABU PRESS

*Translated by generative AI. Click here for the original article.