The Daily China's Upper Hand: Rare Earth Metals
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Jun 10, 2025 
Keith Bradsher, the Beijing bureau chief for The New York Times, dives deep into the U.S.-China trade war, focusing on the critical role of rare earth metals. He reveals how China’s recent halt on exports threatens American industries and military capabilities. Bradsher discusses the historical dependence of the U.S. on these essential materials and the challenges in finding alternatives. He also highlights Japan's efforts to reduce its reliance on China, contrasting them with the U.S.'s vulnerabilities and the urgent need for robust domestic production policies.
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China's Rare Earth Dominance
- Rare earth metals are critical for modern technology and national security, including aircraft parts and advanced magnets.
- China dominates mining and processing of these metals, especially seven very rare elements essential for defense and technology.
Bucket Chemistry Mining
- Rare earth metals in China are often mined via simple 'bucket chemistry' by local miners using dirt bikes.
- The extraction process is rudimentary, involves dumping chemicals into hillsides, causing environmental harm and enabling corruption.
2010 China-Japan Embargo Shock
- In 2010 China embargoed rare earth exports to Japan amid a territorial dispute.
- This shocked global markets and revealed vulnerability to supply disruptions in strategic materials.