Rare Earths

Trump's efforts to build independence regarding rare earths are being hampered by internal issues. Specific challenges include inefficiency, untrustworthiness, and cronyism which are weakening the administration’s plans to stand up to China.

China’s significant role in global commodities is stabilizing gold prices and mitigating energy shocks, but its export controls on rare earths and critical minerals are causing volatility in Western technology supply chains, according to a Goldman Sachs report.

The article argues that European football success, exemplified by players like Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham, represents a rare geopolitical victory for Europe. These athletes are metaphorically compared to 'rare earths,' suggesting their value as strategic assets on the global stage.

The US has issued an executive order requiring major arms manufacturers to trace their supply chains and phase out Chinese rare earths, aiming to reduce reliance on China's rare earth minerals. Industry observers describe the move as a necessary enforcement action to address supply chain vulnerabilities for long-term national security benefits.

Japan's state metals agency has committed up to $33.9 million to a Toyota Tsusho venture at Lofdal in Namibia, potentially becoming the country's first rare earth mine development in Africa.

POSCO, a South Korean steel company, has signed a strategic agreement with Australia's Meteoric Resources to secure up to 30% of rare earths production from Brazil's Caldeira project in Minas Gerais over seven years.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is in Brazil for a state visit focused on securing critical minerals and rare earths. The visit includes a summit amid a newly elevated strategic partnership between the two nations.

Sweden has declared the mining of critical minerals and rare earths a national security interest to expedite permits and reduce reliance on China. The government aims to counter dependence on China by streamlining the mining process.

The WTO warns that surging demand for critical minerals like cobalt, lithium, and rare earths is driving conflict in resource-rich regions such as Congo and Sudan, where illegal mining fuels violence. However, the organization highlights an opportunity for these nations to leverage their mineral wealth for economic transformation through local processing, strengthened international law, and cooperative strategies to avoid being locked into low-value production.

The US and its allies are working to reduce dependence on China for rare earths and critical minerals to strengthen their position in artificial intelligence. Jacob Helberg, US undersecretary of state for economic affairs, discusses efforts to secure alternative supply chains in an interview. US President Donald Trump signed a related policy.

The US-China decoupling is reshaping Latin America's strategic landscape as G7 nations reduce ties with China and the US considers tariffs on Brazil linked to Pix and deforestation. Latin America's rare earths and digital infrastructure are highlighted as key factors in this geopolitical shift.

Yunnan province's strategic mineral reserves, including gallium and rare earths, and its land corridors to Southeast Asia are critical to China's defense industry mobilisation and counteracting geopolitical risks, according to researchers.

The International Energy Agency warned that China’s rare earth export curbs could risk $6.5 trillion of annual downstream production outside the country if fully implemented. The report focuses on rare earths and critical minerals.

The European Union has formed a crisis team to prepare for possible trade conflicts with China over rare earths as a truce between the two parties expires in October.

Beijing's export controls on rare earths and other niche metals are distorting markets. These actions are also fueling resource nationalism.

A study by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates the U.S. defense industrial base is improving for wartime production, with 10,000 new companies entering the market and munitions contract obligations rising 330% since FY 2010. However, challenges remain in manufacturing lead times, stockpile resilience, and supply chain security.

Chinese companies are leveraging a rare earths export ban to strengthen their competitive position against foreign rivals, as Beijing reduces exports of key materials to Japan. The move is being described as a 'historic opportunity' for manufacturers to advance up the value chain.

US rare earths are being sold to Japan and South Korea despite efforts to build a domestic supply chain. Miners supported by the Trump administration are prioritizing Asian markets over domestic demand.

The article highlights growing global interest in Brazil's rare earth resources and questions whether the Brazilian government is prepared to capitalize on this demand.

The European Union and China agreed to establish a Trade and Investment Consultation Mechanism to address growing commercial tensions and the EU's trade deficit. The platform will focus on trade balancing, export controls, intellectual property, and WTO reform, with a working group to monitor trade flows and prevent destabilizing import spikes.

An expert from China’s top state-affiliated think tank warns that deep-seated structural rivalry and regulatory barriers will limit a durable improvement in China-US ties, despite a temporary stabilization from last month’s leaders’ summit. The discussion highlights concerns over AI and rare earths as critical areas of fragility in the bilateral relationship.

The U.S. Navy's Columbia-class submarines, set to replace Ohio-class vessels by the 2030s and 2040s, rely heavily on rare earths refined in China for their propulsion, stealth, and strike capabilities, creating a critical vulnerability. These submarines use electric motors and advanced technology that depend on materials China dominates in refining.

Japan reports China detained two of its citizens suspected of smuggling banned items, potentially linked to rare earths. Chinese authorities confirmed the detentions but provided no details, while Japanese officials emphasized privacy and ongoing investigations. The case adds to strained bilateral relations, which have been affected by previous disputes over exports and espionage charges.

Petrobras, Brazil's oil company, has partnered with the state development bank to research critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earths. The move marks a shift into battery metals and materials essential for wind turbines and electronics.

China imposed export restrictions on 10 US companies, including two rare-earths firms backed by Washington, blocking dual-use equipment for military use. Rare earths tensions escalated after China's prior restrictions in response to Trump's tariffs, with the US seeking new sources but experts warning reliance reduction will take years.

China's commerce ministry sanctioned 10 US tech companies, blocking exports of dual-use items to the US, including drone makers and rare earths firms. This follows the Pentagon's recent restrictions on Chinese companies.

Kenya is close to a deal with the US to process its rare earths and strategic minerals at home, as announced by President Ruto at the G7 summit. The agreement aims to enable Kenya to process these critical minerals domestically.

Japan is pushing G7 nations to establish a floor price mechanism to counter China's export controls on rare earths, as discussed at the G7 Evian Summit in France by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The G7 nations agreed to limit China's supply of rare earths and permanent magnets to no more than 60% by 2030, aiming for a 50% cap as quickly as possible. European leaders also faced challenges in unifying their response to an influx of low-cost Chinese imports.

The Pentagon has secured $1.2 billion in loans for rare earth minerals, including germanium and gallium, critical for scaling weapons production. Michael Cadenazzi, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, emphasized the necessity of these materials for defense capabilities.

The G7 aims to limit China's supply of rare earths to no more than 60%. A Rare Earth Industrial Park is under construction in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, China.

Renault has developed electric motors that do not use rare earth materials. The article highlights this innovation in energy and powertrains, focusing on the company's advancements in electric vehicle technology.

The US-China post-summit detente is shifting to institutional frameworks, with the US Trade Representative seeking tariff relief for non-sensitive Chinese goods and proposing Section 301 duties on imports from 60 countries, including China. The USTR also launched a new US-China Board of Trade to evaluate potential tariff reductions.

EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič advocates for a new diversification instrument to reduce European industry's reliance on single suppliers in critical sectors like microchips and rare earths. He references the Energy Union model and emphasizes securing three different suppliers for critical materials, citing China's export restrictions and the EU's over 90% dependency on China for rare earths as key challenges.

EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič advocates for a new 'diversification instrument' to reduce reliance on China in critical sectors like chips and rare earths. He references the Energy Union model and highlights vulnerabilities exposed by China's export controls, with EU leaders planning to address China's industrial overcapacity at a June summit.

A race to mine rare earths and metals in Myanmar's eastern mountains is polluting waterways used by millions downstream, following the start of operations at a new tungsten mine near the Thai border. Myanmar ranks among the top three producers of rare earths and critical minerals essential for electronics and electric vehicles.

India and the US signed a framework agreement to secure critical minerals and rare earths, aiming to position India as an alternative to China. However, analysts suggest India's dominance in the sector is unlikely to challenge China's control soon.

EU leaders fear cheap Chinese exports, but the article argues they should be more concerned about embedded spyware and dependency on rare earths. The focus is on misplaced concerns versus real security and resource risks.

The race for rare earths has raised concerns about environmental damage. Companies aiming to increase Western supplies face legal and community obstacles.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will warn at the Reagan National Economic Forum that U.S. industrial policy has prioritized efficiency over resilience, creating strategic vulnerabilities in semiconductors, rare earths, and medicines.