OBELA Analysis

Rare lands are a strategic advantage for China. A large part of the reserves of these minerals are found in the Asian country. However, rare earth mining is highly polluting, so China has undertaken to limit its production.

It has imposed quotas on the volume of rare earth exports since 2010 so that it can take advantage of the world's dependence on this mineral. There are quotas on production, in addition to export quotas, which respond to both the inherent pollution of these materials and the incipient diversification of production.

Rare earth mining is a double-edged weapon for the environment, on the one hand, it means an important input; and on the other hand, the pollution it represents has been devastating for some regions in Asia.

The outbreak of COVID-19 began in China in late December 2019, with quarantine and confinement beginning in January. The health regulations stopped many global value chains, mainly those of pharmaceuticals, automobiles, aeronautics, electronics and telecommunications.

Faced with the problem, the Chinese government immediately implemented policies to prevent the economy from collapsing. What happened to the economy during the pandemic? Has it recovered?

Economic policy actions have mitigated the downturn and boosted the recovery of the Chinese economy. This makes it the only country in the world with a reliable "V" shape recovery, with real quarterly growth annualized in 2020.

The World Bank reported that, as a result of the economic downturn caused by the COVID pandemic, 2020 would see the worst drop in remittances in Latin America and the Caribbean in history. Remittances represent one-fifth of the GDP of El Salvador and Honduras, one-tenth for Guatemala and Nicaragua and less than 5% for Belize, Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama.

In March 2020, Latin American unemployment was 6% and tripled in the face of the pandemic to 18.9% in April. Women were the most affected. Nevertheless, remittances to Mexico and Central America recovered as of June. Why so soon?

The World Bank's projections are not being met, fortunately for Mexican, Central and South American families. What is seen is that being a migrant and being precarious are synonymous and that in case of any drop in production they are the first group to be unemployed, but in some cases with a faster recovery.