China's new controls on rare earths create challenges for the West's plans for green tech

China's new controls on rare earths create challenges for the West's plans for green tech

China recently announced that it was putting new controls on the export of rare earth elements, sparking a new round in the country's ongoing trade war with the US.

China holds global supply chains in check

A somewhat desperate move by US President Donald Trump is a clear example of how much China has control over the rest of the world. China's recent restrictions on the export of rare earth metals such as dysprosium and neodymium have stirred diplomatic circles and provoked heated reactions in Washington. According to the British magazine The Economics, an unnamed source reportedly commented: "The White House should sue Beijing for gross infringem…