Manufacturers could find production impeded following China's announcement that it is reducing exports of rare earths in the first half of 2011.
Rare earths are used for high-end technological gadgets such as hybrid cars, mobile phones and computer drives.
They are constituted by 17 chemical metals including lanthanides, yttrium and scandium.
The country has said that it will cut exports by over ten per cent, despite being the world's biggest exporter of the minerals.
It has a 97 per cent share of the market, with any continuing blockages potentially devastating for both large and small manufacturers.
Some industry analysts have forecast that demand will outstrip supply by 30-50,000 tonnes in 2012.
China's decision may have been motivated by increased domestic demand for technological gadgets such as mobile phones.
However, a spokesman for the China Commerce Ministry said that the reductions are also motivated by concerns over the material's environmental impact.
Typical Guttridge equipment used in the process systems, process engineering and manufacturing processes industry includes; heavy duty conveyors-industrial conveyors – belt conveyors
