BEIJING, Dec 21 (Reuters) - China, the world's top processor of rare earths, banned the export of technology to make rare earth magnets on Thursday, adding it to a ban already in place on technology to extract and separate the critical materials.

Rare earths are a group of 17 metals used to make magnets that turn power into motion for use in electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics.

"This should be a clarion call that dependence on China in any part of the value chain is not sustainable," said Nathan Picarsic, co-founder of the geopolitical consulting firm Horizon Advisory.

China's commerce ministry sought public opinion last December on the potential move to add the technology to prepare smarium-cobalt magnets, neodymium-iron-boron magnets and cerium magnets to its "Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export."

n the list it also banned technology to make rare-earth calcium oxyborate and production technology for rare earth metals, adding them to a previous ban on production of rare earth alloy materials.

The catalogue's stated aims include protecting national security and public interest.

China has significantly tightened rules guiding exports of several metals this year, in an escalating battle with the West over control of critical minerals.

It introduced export permits for chipmaking materials gallium and germanium in August, followed by similar requirements for several types of graphite since Dec. 1.
"China is driven to maintain its market dominance," said Don Swartz, CEO of American Rare Earths (ARR.AX), which is developing a rare earths mine and processing facility in Wyoming. "This is now a race."

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