In April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order prioritising U.S. leadership in seabed mapping and mineral exploration, aiming to ensure reliable access to critical minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, which are

In this era, Greece has the potential to emerge as a production powerhouse, with vast reserves of many critical minerals, including gallium, bauxite, and germanium, and potential for rare earth production.

Geological Survey, the United States imported about $150 million worth of rare earth metals in 2017, the majority of which originated from China. The United States didn't produce any rare-earth minerals domestically that year.

Especially important are elements such as nickel, cobalt, lithium, copper, and the rare earths that power decarbonization technologies such as batteries, electric motors, and turbines.

It's sort of like the rare earth issue where he says, I'm going to cut off rare earth minerals being exported to the United States to try to create this sort of maximum pressure environment.

In recent years, the CCP has restricted rare earth exports to pressure countries whose policies or statements have displeased Beijing.

In February, Biden signed an executive order to begin a 100-day review of U.S. supply chains in several key sectors, including semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and rare-earth minerals.

“Claims that deep-sea mining will solve supply chain needs for rare earth elements or national security critical materials are exaggerated and grossly misleading,” she said.

Not to mention the litany of rare earth mining needed for minerals and materials to construct solar equipment. Wind energy is no better. Turbines have killed countless birds—even eagles—and now the turbines are even fallowing over!

earth element production, nearly 90 percent of global mineral processing capabilities as well as the market prices for rare earth elements at each step of the process.”

With China also trying to corner the markets of many rare earth minerals and other materials, Gibson said it's the pharmaceutical industry that could have the largest impact on people's lives.

The Biden administration in February ordered a review of key domestic supply chains, including of critical minerals and materials, with a June report (pdf) noting that demand for rare earths is set to skyrocket.

While speaking to Epoch TV’s “China Insider” in July, Luisa Moreno, president of Defense Metals, a Vancouver-based mineral exploration company, warned that if China were to stop the export of rare earths to the United States, the American military will

Rare earths and other minerals such as lithium are essential to powering Biden’s attempt at a transition to renewable energy and away from fossil fuels.

’s stranglehold on rare earths.

Rare earths are found all over the world: in former Eastern Bloc countries, across Asia, and in South America, Southern Africa, Australia, and the United States.

By investing in other countries' infrastructure, the CCP purposefully loads recipient countries into debt and then tries to get "their rare earths and minerals and things like that as collateral for their loans,” Washburne said.

To Build Domestic Rare Earths Plant Draft Bill to Address U.S. Mineral Reliance on China U.S.

The transition will need double the current production of copper, three times the current level of rare earth elements and cobalt production, and 30 times more nickel.

and rare earths that will be to this century what fossil fuels were in the past.

In December 2023, for example, China imposed a ban on the export of rare earth extraction and separation technologies, citing national security concerns.

China is also doubling down on export controls for critical rare earth elements—a sector it dominates globally. These minerals are vital for a range of critical industries, making the United States particularly vulnerable.

Natural Resources Canada lists it as a critical mineral along with rare earth elements and with minerals like lithium, graphite, cobalt, and nickel, which are required for making electric vehicles, batteries, and electronic components.

It is little short of comical that the only rare earths mine located in the United States, within the Clark mountains in southern California, was revived for the purpose of lessening dependence on China’s near-monopoly on the precious minerals we need

On Oct. 9, China announced that it is tightening its export controls on rare earths, effective Dec. 1. Beijing has a near-monopoly on the critical minerals essential for modern manufacturing, from cars and electronics to advanced weapon systems.

“Australia could readily replace China as a key source of the rare earths and other strategic minerals that India will need, under Prime Minister Mahendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ program, if it’s to replace China as a source of manufactured inputs at scale

He also notes that "The liberal reconciliation bill that your Administration is supporting would dramatically increase our reliance on China for rare earth and critical minerals to meet your climate agenda."

The murkiness of the dealings in Africa highlights an ongoing trend in the continent where Western firms risk being ousted from valuable mining projects from competing Chinese interests—particularly as competition for valuable rare earth and critical

Now the asteroid belt is chock full of minable rare earth minerals, and we know China's heavily invested in trying to dominate the rare earth mineral market. Rare earth minerals are essential for building out high-tech equipment.

He noted that the CCP also is interested in Afghanistan’s rare earth resources.