Wow, the way silver is reacting, you’d think China, the world’s largest producer at 70%, was gonna enact RESTRICTIONS on exports, the way they did on rare earth metals.

 They ARE, on January 1, one trading day from now….

Not saying silver is the same as rare earths, BUT, there’s a bit of a precedent.

After China slashed its export quotas by about 40% in 2010 and temporarily halted shipments to Japan over a maritime dispute, prices for certain rare earths skyrocketed.  

• Massive Increases: Average export prices rose from approximately $9,461 per metric ton in 2009 to nearly $67,000 in 2011.  

• Specific Element Extremes: Elements like Dysprosium oxide (used in magnets) saw a 26-fold increase, jumping from around $91/kg in early 2009 to over $2,300/kg by August 2011.