U.S.' inability to replace rare earths supply from China poses a threat to its defense, warns CSIS

CNBC News via MSN ^ | 04/15/2025 | Dylan Butts

[SeekAndFind]

As China imposes export controls on rare earth elements, the U.S. would be unable to fill a potential shortfall, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies — and this could threaten Washington’s military capabilities.

Amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating tariffs on China, Beijing earlier this month imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements and magnets used in defense, energy and automotive technologies.

The new restrictions — which encompass the medium and heavy rare earth elements samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium — will require Chinese companies to secure special licenses to export the resources.

Though it remains to be seen exactly how China will implement this policy, the CSIS report, published Monday, warns that it will likely result in a pause in exports as Beijing establishes the licensing system, and cause disruptions in supply to some U.S. firms.

The New York Times reported earlier this week that a pause in China’s rare earth element exports was already occurring.

As China effectively holds a monopoly over the supply of global heavy rare earths processing, such restrictions pose a serious threat to the U.S., particularly its defense technology sector.

“The United States is particularly vulnerable for these supply chains,” CSIS warned, emphasizing that rare earths are crucial for a range of advanced defense technologies and are used in types of fighter jets, submarines, missiles, radar systems and drones.

Along with the export controls, Beijing has placed 16 U.S. entities — all but one in the defense and aerospace industries — on its export control list. Placement on the list prevents companies from receiving “dual-use goods,” including the aforementioned rare earth elements.

[unclebankster]

Minerals aren’t rare in the United States, unless you let highly educated urban environmentalists control the resources of your nation.

When that happens, your nation becomes dependent on foreign producers.

[xkaydet65]

For a start pay MS 13 to go around and steal catalytic converters

[airborne]

CNBC via MSN, with a quote in the story from the New York Times.

Yuck! Yuck! And more Yuck!

[roadcat]

In fact, in the 1980s the US was the largest producer of rare earth minerals.

Yes, a large one, Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, was shut down by enviro-weenies in Southern California. Supplied all our needs until it was shut down. Then California State allowed a Chinese company to come in and tinker with the mine. Shenghe Resources, a partially state-owned enterprise of the Government of China, holds an 8.0% stake. Some rare earth minerals are being extracted now for U.S. defense purposes.

[roadcat]

In fact, in the 1980s the US was the largest producer of rare earth minerals.

Yes, a large one, Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, was shut down by enviro-weenies in Southern California. Supplied all our needs until it was shut down. Then California State allowed a Chinese company to come in and tinker with the mine. Shenghe Resources, a partially state-owned enterprise of the Government of China, holds an 8.0% stake. Some rare earth minerals are being extracted now for U.S. defense purposes.

[Vaduz]

Trump says minerals deal to be signed next Thursday after Ukraine talks
Reuters AOL News ^ | 4/17/2025

[rdcbn1]

The Chinese have been dumping rare earth minerals below cost to drive the world wide competition into insolvency , often so they can buy them up on the cheap.

Plenty of suppliers around the world who would be more than happy to supply the US while we build up our domestic production

[Karl Spooner]

Fork in the road. Buy minerals from somebody planning to conquer and kill you, or find another source.

Yup, China has us Surrounded! And China has COMMERCIAL ports, too!

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[fella]

I wonder how much electronics containing these minerals go to the dump every day.

[shanover]

Fedgov made sure to close most mines and declare all deposits untouchable for “environmental” reasons. America has a substantial amount of energy and minerals but Fedgov won’t touch it for American industry but certainly will export it to China. China rolls along the planet sucking up every resource on the planet. Industry needs to come back to America. Ai and technology takes a massive amount of energy and minerals. This is a national security issue.

[PIF]

“The United States is particularly vulnerable for these supply chains,” having locked up most of ours, under B. Clinton, in the guise of a national preserve.

[Arcadian Empire]

America can make peace with Russia, affirm that Eastern Ukraine (including Crimea) will be a separate country aligned with Russia, and make a profitable deal for rare earth and other natural resources from Eastern Ukraine (and Russia).

That will successfully address the rare earth issue while additional domestic and foreign sources are developed.

[Arcadian Empire]

That occurred to me as well.

It is important to determine the viability of retrieving materials from used electronics.

[Arcadian Empire]

That is an excellent idea.

Make Greenland residents a big beautiful financial deal.

[oldbill]

This has been a long time coming, but the cheap labor and off-shoring crowd just looked the other way. Next will be the denial of pharmaceutical medicines.

We are now paying the price of making America last.
Will there be any lessons learned?

The final chapter in this sad story will be the American surrender to the Chinese as people die from lack of medicines and ships are sunk and the woke, America-hating young men refuse to fight while protesting about losing their cell phones and tik-toc videos.