How the US Handed China Control of the Rare Earth Supply Chain
China processes 91% of rare earths used in magnets, giving Beijing leverage as U.S. rebuilding efforts face billion-dollar costs and technical hurdles.
- On Sept 24, 2026, President Trump meets Chinese leader Jinping to discuss extending export control suspensions expiring Nov 10, 2026. The outcome will determine American access to critical rare earth minerals.
- Beijing processes about 91% of the world's rare earth elements, granting it significant political leverage over global supply chains. Buyers opted for Chinese processing to avoid high costs and environmental cleanup, inadvertently ceding strategic control.
- The American government has committed more than $7 billion since April 2025 to rebuild domestic production capacity. Federally backed companies MP Materials and USA Rare Earth are building mine-to-magnet chains to reduce dependence.
- Despite the truce, China's June 22, 2026, export restrictions targeting 10 American firms remain active, alongside licensing requirements for Chinese-origin rare earths. These measures persist despite the current suspension agreement.
- Rebuilding a domestic supply chain could take up to 15 years, according to Government Accountability Office estimates. Until then, military production for F-35 and Virginia-class submarines remains vulnerable to international supply disruptions.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The Conversation
How the US gave up its edge to China in processing vital rare earth minerals – and what that’s costing
MP Materials mines and processes rare earth minerals in California, including neodymium-praseodymium oxide used in high-performance magnets. David McNew/Getty ImagesLook around you, and you’ll see rare earth elements at work. A phone vibrates because a magnet moves a weight. Its screen was polished with cerium powder. Its connection to the rest of the world crosses oceans on cables amplified with erbium. If you drove today, a rare earth magnet h…
How the US gave up its edge to China in processing vital rare earth minerals – and what that’s costing
by Charles Edward Gehrke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), [This article first appeared in The Conversation, republished with permission] Look around you, and you’ll see rare earth elements at work....
How the US ceded control of the rare earth supply chain to China
7 Article Rewrite: US Companies Placed on Chinese Export Control List: Implications and Strategies On June 22, 2026, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce made a significant announcement – 10 US companies have been added to the export control list, restricting the sale of products for both civilian and military use to these entities. Among these [...]
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