Posted on 10/13/2025 9:14:53 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
China has just played its rare-earth card — and the shock waves reach far beyond trade.
On October 9, Beijing imposed sweeping new export controls on a broad array of rare-earth metals and high-tech components. These obscure elements — neodymium, dysprosium, samarium, holmium, erbium, and others — are the hidden arteries of modern power. They magnetize motors that steer drones and electric vehicles, harden the guidance systems of missiles, and enable the high-temperature performance of GPUs — the silicon engines that drive artificial intelligence. Whoever controls rare earths holds a potential chokehold on the digital and military age.
[SNIP]
Beijing’s leaders remember 2010, when a rare earth embargo against Japan backfired spectacularly. Tokyo diversified, invested in recycling, and helped open new mines in Australia and the U.S. Within three years, China’s market share and prices collapsed.
Today, Xi risks repeating that mistake on a global scale. The Critical Minerals Initiative and the CHIPS Act are already fast-tracking domestic mining in Texas and Wyoming, backed by Pentagon procurement guarantees. Australia’s Lynas, Canada’s Vital Metals, and new refining projects in Saskatchewan and Western Australia are ramping up. Japan and South Korea are stockpiling; Europe is recycling; and African partners are exploring joint ventures with U.S. firms.
China’s squeeze could accelerate the very decoupling it fears most, creating a parallel, democratic supply chain. The tighter Xi’s grip, the faster the world slips free from Beijing’s rare earth monopoly.
[SNIP]
Ironically, China’s aggression may trigger a Western renaissance. Congress now treats mineral independence as national security doctrine. The Pentagon is expanding the Defense Production Act to cover rare earth refining, while start-ups in Colorado and Texas pioneer closed-loop extraction systems that minimize environmental impact.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
“China’s squeeze could accelerate the very decoupling it fears most, creating a parallel, democratic supply chain.”
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Creating an alternative supply chain will take time. Unfortunately, we put ourselves in this vulnerable situation by refusing to develop and nurture our own domestic sources of rare earth materials and related processing facilities. A demonstrative and complete failure of past “leadership” in this country. Much the same can be said about our foreign dependence on pharmaceutical products.
Anything that is vitally important to the well being and security of the country should mostly be made here at home so that supply interruptions do not lead to painful disruptions.
today is all green!!!
my call options on $5 ABAT hit a staggering +500% and it does not expire until nov 21st.
I’m going have a porterhouse for two at ruth’s chris instead of dallas fillet at taxes roadhouse.
These elements don’t come from China, they are mined elsewhere like Australia and refined in China.
We need to decouple anything of importance from China and rely on American assets.
In all things, screw the ChiComms!
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