The Duran Podcast RACE for rare earths. War on BRICS
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Nov 4, 2025 The hosts dive into the escalating competition over rare earths amidst US-China tensions. They analyze the outcomes of the Trump–Xi summit and how concessions have shifted power to Beijing. There's discussion on the urgency for the US to overcome China's dominance in rare earths, along with doubts about achieving quick fixes. The strengthening China-Russia partnership takes center stage, highlighting strategic resource dependencies. Ultimately, they contemplate the missed chances for cooperative engagement with BRICS, favoring instead a confrontational approach.
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China Came Out Ahead In Trade Talks
- The US lacks leverage on China after the South Korea summit and appears to have conceded on major trade measures.
- China emerged as the clear winner by forcing rollbacks like the 50% rule and fee reversals.
One‑Year Fix For Rare Earths Seems Unrealistic
- The US is racing to break China's rare earths dominance and talks of a one‑year fix are optimistic.
- Achieving domestic rare earth independence in a year is portrayed as highly unlikely by the hosts.
US Salami‑Slicing Backfired
- US measures that expanded sanctions or fees (like the 50% rule and harbor fees) provoked strong Chinese pushback.
- Those measures were walked back, showing the limits of US coercive economic tools.