US EditionOp-Ed: Countering China's Dominance in Rare-Earth Minerals
- Last week, China and the US reached a temporary deal to ease export restrictions, increasing approval rates from 25% to 60% with many licenses still pending.
- Following April 2024 export restrictions, China approved only 25% of license applications, using controls as non-military leverage to slow shipments severely.
- China controls nearly 99% of heavy REE processing, over 90% of magnet capacity, with April exports down 51%, highlighting its market dominance.
- Despite license approvals helping stabilize supply, automakers face ongoing risks of production delays due to unresolved shortages and licensing uncertainties.
- The US aims for an independent rare earth element supply chain by 2027, but reliance persists, requiring structural diversification through domestic, allied, and technological measures.
17 Articles
17 Articles
China has limited the export of important rare earths. Western companies reach their limits. Among other things, the scandium concerns.
China uses its dominance in the rare earth sector as a political leverage. A new deal does not change the US dependency. Trump lacks its own supply chains.
How Rare Earths Create Strategic Leverage
Once obscure and overlooked, rare earth elements (REEs) are now at the heart of the 21st-century technological revolution. From precision-guided missiles and electric vehicles to wind turbines and smartphones, REEs power the critical systems that define our digital and low-carbon future. As the global shift toward electrification and renewable energy accelerates, demand is spreading across nearly the entire Periodic Table, driven by the unique, …
In 2010, Beijing took the neighboring country Japan into the pliers and blocked the export of rare earths. As Japan's company and government reduced dependence, a lesson is also for Europe.
In January the Land of the Levant Sun will try to find minerals in the bottom of the Ocean in the waters of the Zee. Japan - with the United States, India and Australia - wants to contend with China's primacy in the sector. The test to recover sediments at 5,500 meters depth is the first in the world. The goal is to 'test the operation of the equipment'.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources are Center, 43% of the sources lean Right
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
