The article examines how the US lost its dominant position in rare earth processing, allowing China to gain control over a critical supply chain essential for everything from consumer electronics to military hardware like F-35 jets and submarines. China's 2025 export controls demonstrated its geopolitical leverage, though they were suspended until November 2026.
Background
Rare earth elements are critical for modern technology and defense applications. The US once dominated production through California's Mountain Pass mine but ceded processing dominance to China over decades.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Sep 23, 2026 at 09:37 PM
- Score
- 7.0 / 10