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Referring to the graph above, China’s production share rose sharply through the 1990s and reached a peak of 97.5% in 2005.

But From there, China’s share suffered a steady decline that dramatically deepened in 2017, until China accounted for 58.3% of global REE ores in 2020. The accelerated decline is largely due to the Trump administration’s push to increase U.S. REE mining, which grew from nothing to the world’s second largest producer, and the rapid growth in REE ores from Myanmar, which increased from nothing in 2017 to the world’s third largest producer.

With the discovery of new deposits and mines reopening outside China, such as Burundi’s Gakara Rare Earth Project and South Africa’s Steenkampskraal mine, the outlook is poor for China to regain its overwhelming dominance in REE mining. In this regard, China is beginning to look like a paper tiger, suggesting that the best U.S. response would ensure the operation of normal market forces.

"and the rapid growth in REE ores from Myanmar, which increased from nothing in 2017 to the world’s third largest producer."

Now you have one piece of the puzzle involving the uproar over Myanmar.

“The folks running China aren’t stupid. We can expect China to fund political and environmental groups to stop new REE-processing facilities, much like how Russia funds U.S. environmental groups that lobby and protest the development of U.S. fossil fuels. “

How many people know this? It should be exploited for our gain.

“Russia funds the US Environmental Movement!” Needs publicity.