China appears to be making moves that several folks had been fearing for some time: It is considering stricter limits on the export of so-called rare-earth metals.

The metals, which are most abundant in China, are used in a range of high tech industries including green energy and defense, which is what most concerns the US government.

Claiming that the mining of rare earths has been bad for the environment, the government is moving to restrict unauthorized wells, which may be exporting their goods illegally at too-low prices, according to NYT.

This move will surely be good news for the one major domestic player, Molycorp, which is based in California, and has IPO plans. Any restrictions coming out of China can only mean an easier time with regulations, and more subsidies, especially given the defense implications.

We've put together a presentation on what you need to know about rare earths. The first part is a presentation from Avalon Rare Metals, explaining what they're all about, and the second lists key countries to pay attention to.