Today, a Japanese trading house announced an agreement that will help secure a supply of rare earth minerals from Australia. This comes after recent events involving Chinese suppliers cutting off rare earth minerals to Japan following a fishing boat incident in the waters around an island disputed by both nations.

Industry analysts are calling this deal a "rare windfall", as the deal includes funding to help one rare earth miner double its production in the next 18 months.

Rare earth minerals have made headlines lately for two reasons. One, they are critical for a range of products, from hybrid cars to technology gadgets like iPhones, digital cameras, and an assortment of other consumer electronics. Rare earths also have military applications.

And two, China produces 97% of the world's supply but has recently limited its supply to Japan. Rare earth prices have surged as a result.

Of course, higher rare earth prices mean that rare earth miners will ramp up production as fast as possible. That's why this Japanese announcement is so important -- and potentially lucrative for investors.

Japan is investing in the largest non-Chinese supply of rare earth minerals. And this increase in supply will be first to market, which likely means higher revenues and stock prices.

Click here to learn more about the best way to profit from Japan's rare earth deal and three of the most profitable commodity opportunities in the market today.