Uncategorized
The Country That Built Both the Sword and the Shield
How China’s rare earth and BeiDou supply chains underpin both Israeli missile defense and Iranian strike capabilities, and what this means for defense…
April 2, 2026
Anna K.Country Intelligence
Industrial & Corporate Base
Japan
Japan stands out in this dataset through named industrial and corporate presence, processing and refining capacity, and upstream production exposure, with its strongest relevance showing up in Selenium, Tellurium, and Indium.
This country stands out through downstream industrial presence, named companies, and end-market relevance rather than pure upstream concentration.
Industrial baseRefining hubProducer base
Strategic Read
Industrial base
Japan matters because refining and processing concentration can translate into leverage even when mine output is not dominant.
Policy events
3
Materials covered
13
Leading materials
SeleniumTelluriumIndiumGallium
Overview
Why Japan matters
Primary read
Industrial base
Why it matters
Japan matters because refining and processing concentration can translate into leverage even when mine output is not dominant.
What to watch
Watch policy changes, permitting, and trade rules alongside any shift in Selenium exposure.
Coverage signals
Materials covered
13
Linked policy events
3
Refining appearances
8
Named companies
15
These are dataset signals showing how often Japan appears across strategic materials research, not official reserve or production totals.
Mining / upstream supply
Very High
4
Refining / processing
Very High
8
Policy leverage
Moderate
3
Industrial presence
Very High
15
Material Exposure
Where Japan appears in the dataset
Se
Selenium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey PlayerChokepoint
Selenium matters here because of producer signal: ~20% (~680-710 t), refining share: 20% (~680-710), 3 named players, and appears in chokepoint analysis.
Producer signal
~20% (~680-710 t)
Refining share
20% · ~680-710
Te
Tellurium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey Player
Tellurium matters here because of producer signal: 90-110 t/yr (17-19%), refining share: 18%, and 1 named player.
Producer signal
90-110 t/yr (17-19%)
Refining share
18%
In
Indium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey Player
Indium matters here because of producer signal: 9–14% (80–120 t), refining share: 11%, and 2 named players.
Producer signal
9–14% (80–120 t)
Refining share
11%
Ga
Gallium
Integrated upstream and refining presence
ProducerSourceRefinerKey Player
Gallium matters here because of producer signal: <1% (refining), refining share: 0.3%, and 2 named players.
Producer signal
<1% (refining)
Refining share
0.3%
C
Graphite
Processing and refining relevance
SourceRefinerKey Player
Graphite matters here because of refining share: 5% and 1 named player.
Refining share
5%
Cu
Copper
Processing and refining relevance
SourceRefiner
Copper matters here because of refining share: 7%.
Refining share
7%
Au
Gold
Processing and refining relevance
RefinerKey Player
Gold matters here because of refining share: 5% and 1 named player.
Refining share
5%
Co
Cobalt
Processing and refining relevance
RefinerKey Player
Cobalt matters here because of refining share: 1.5% (3,500) and 1 named player.
Refining share
1.5% · 3,500
Dy
Dysprosium
Corporate and industrial relevance
Key Player
Dysprosium matters here because of 2 named players.
Tb
Terbium
Corporate and industrial relevance
Key Player
Terbium matters here because of 2 named players.
Nd
Neodymium
Corporate and industrial relevance
Key Player
Neodymium matters here because of 1 named player.
Nb
Niobium
Corporate and industrial relevance
Key Player
Niobium matters here because of 1 named player.
Sn
Tin
Supply-chain source relevance
Source
Tin is one of the materials where this country appears in the intelligence dataset.
Production & Refining
Industrial footprint by material
| Material | Roles | Producer signal | Refining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selenium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player, Chokepoint | ~20% (~680-710 t) | 20% · ~680-710 |
| Tellurium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player | 90-110 t/yr (17-19%) | 18% |
| Indium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player | 9–14% (80–120 t) | 11% |
| Gallium | Producer, Source, Refiner, Key Player | <1% (refining) | 0.3% |
| Graphite | Source, Refiner, Key Player | N/A | 5% |
| Copper | Source, Refiner | N/A | 7% |
| Gold | Refiner, Key Player | N/A | 5% |
| Cobalt | Refiner, Key Player | N/A | 1.5% · 3,500 |
| Dysprosium | Key Player | N/A | N/A |
| Terbium | Key Player | N/A | N/A |
| Neodymium | Key Player | N/A | N/A |
| Niobium | Key Player | N/A | N/A |
| Tin | Source | N/A | N/A |
Key Players
Companies and industrial actors linked to Japan
Panasonic
Japan
Tesla battery partner; NCA chemistry
Shin-Etsu Chemical
Japan
Leading NdFeB magnet producer. Pioneer in grain boundary diffusion technology.
TDK Corporation
Japan
Major NdFeB magnet manufacturer for automotive and electronics. GBD adopter.
Sumitomo Chemical
Japan
High-purity gallium and GaAs substrate production
Dowa Holdings
Japan
Gallium recovery and high-purity refining
Tanaka Kikinzoku
Japan
Leading electronics-grade gold supplier; bonding wire
Hitachi Chemical
Japan
Premium synthetic anode manufacturer
Dowa Holdings
Japan
60–100 t/yr globally (primary + secondary). Japan's leading indium recycler, recovering from display scrap and ITO target waste.
JX Nippon Mining & Metals
Japan
20–40 t/yr; primarily copper/precious metals with indium as minor line.
Shin-Etsu Chemical
Japan
Major NdFeB magnet producer for electronics and automotive
Toshiba Corporation
Japan
NTO-anode battery development with CBMM and Sojitz. Prototype electric bus with 10-min charging (Jun 2024).
Mitsubishi Materials
Japan
Major Japanese copper refiner with significant selenium recovery operations.
Solar Frontier
Japan
World's largest CIGS solar module manufacturer. Major consumer of 5N-grade selenium.
Shin-Etsu Chemical
Japan
Full GBD production for N45–N50 grades; ~30% Tb reduction per magnet.
TDK
Japan
GBD adoption for select industrial motor magnets; ~25% Tb reduction.
Policy Activity
Relevant policy and regulation
Feb
Feb 2026
Japan invests >US$500M in Brazil RE extraction
Government of Japan · Government of Japan
Bilateral agreement to develop non-Chinese RE processing in Goias. Complements existing Lynas/JARE partnership.
Oct
Oct 2025
South Korea announces national RE supply chain strategy
Government of South Korea · Government of South Korea
First comprehensive strategy covering domestic extraction, separation, magnet manufacturing, and cooperation with US, Japan, and Australia.
Dec
Dec 2023
China Imposes Graphite Export Controls
China · China MOFCOM
Requires special permits for exporters of highly sensitive graphite products, including battery-grade spherical graphite. South Korea and Japan heavily impacted.
Structural Risks
Chokepoints and concentration notes
Selenium: Only Japan and select European refiners produce 5N+ solar-grade Se
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