Companies that escaped damage from the earthquake and ensuing tsunamihave to cope with rolling power outages and disruptions to supplies of water, raw materials and transportation, suggesting the road to reconstruction could be long and halting.

WSJ: Firms in Japan Assess Quake Damage

For the past decade, Beijing has been shaping its foreign policy around securing long-term low-cost supplies of oil and other raw materials that it needs to sustain its economic development.

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At some point in the future a situation exists where those world-wide supplies of raw materials start to dwindle and developed countries watch prices go up as they all compete for the same things.

CNN: Just Imagine - Living Space: Your views

The Swiss-based company supplies raw materials such as oil, copper and wheat and owns plants, warehouses and mines.

NPR: Glencore Sees Sharp Fall In 2012 Earnings

One of China Development Bank's specific tasks is to try to alleviate and, where possible, eliminate bottlenecks in supplies of raw materials or land for China's economy.

BBC: China banks lend more than World Bank - report

This bureaucracy is charged with the job of securing supplies of raw materials so Chinese industry can keep humming--and paying otherwise restless workers.

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