U.S.'s inability to replace rare earths supply from China poses a defense threat, think tank warns
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, a Washington-based think tank — and this could threaten Washington’s military capabilities.
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, a Washington-based think tank — and this could threaten Washington’s military capabilities.
Amid 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 this week that a pause in China’s rare earth element exports was already occurring.
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