According to the U.S. Geological Survey, between 2020 and 2023, the U.S. imported from China at least 70% of the rare earth compounds it uses.
China’s dominance over critical minerals in global supply chains was a powerful bargaining chip in trade talks between Beijing and Washington that concluded with both sides saying they have a framework to pursue a deal.
China has spent decades building the world’s main industrial chain for mining and processing such materials, which are used in many industries such as electronics, advanced manufacturing, defense and health care.
Mines and factories in and around Ganzhou, a key production hub for rare earths, underpin China’s control over the minerals. Many residents grew up collecting rocks containing the valuable minerals from the forested hills surrounding the southern city and today make a living from mining, trading or processing them.
