Anwar said the government would support the development of the rare earths industry in Malaysia and that a ban would "guarantee maximum returns for the country". The rare earth industry is expected to contribute as much as 9.5 billion ringgit ($2 billion) to the country's gross domestic product in 2025 and create nearly 7,000 job opportunities, Anwar said in parliament. "Detailed mapping of rare earth element sources and a comprehensive business model that combines upstream, midstream and downstream industries will be developed to maintain the rare earth value chain in the country," he said. The curbs triggered fears that China could also limit exports of other critical minerals including rare earths. Australia's Lynas Rare Earths Ltd (LYC.AX), the biggest producer of rare earths outside China, has a plant in Malaysia to process concentrate that it gets in Australia.

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Persons: Anwar Ibrahim, Yasuyoshi, Anwar, David Merriman, Merriman, Mai Nguyen, Rozanna, Melanie Burton, Amy Lv, Edwina Gibbs, David Holmes Organizations: Malaysia's, China, ASEAN Summit, United States Geological Survey, Thomson Locations: ASEAN, Jakarta, Indonesia, KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, China, midstream, Malaysian, Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Mai, Hanoi, Melbourne, Beijing