Can the US Counter China’s Rare Earth Dominance?

Beijing’s stranglehold on rare earth refining gives it geopolitical leverage.

A man driving a front loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, China, on Sept. 5, 2010. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

As demand for rare earth elements surges worldwide, China’s dominance over the global supply chain continues to grow. At the same time, to its strategic disadvantage, the United States is falling behind in rare earth element production and access, putting its advanced defense infrastructure and weapons systems at risk. The potential impact of this can hardly be overstated.