Comment Re:So get it from Canida, the #6 producer. (Score 1) 51
Why weren't they already doing that? Is it simply cost?
Almost certainly. (Could be the current output of their one mine is already committed elsewhere, so it had to wait for other mines to be opened or that one to be buy another truck or the like.)
If worst came to worst we could just MAKE it from any convenient carbon source. But that would cost about twice as much - give or take a tad depending mostly on what form you needed for your process' feedstock.
But why pay $2 for what you could buy from China for $1, or from any of several other sources for maybe $1.15? Until China decides to keep itheir production for themselves. Then there's a flurry of price fluctuations as the other suppliers ramp up or start up and the customers get other suppliers under contract.