Rare earth minerals have become the backbone of modern technology, fueling everything from smartphones and electric vehicles ...

Workers transport soil containing rare earth elements for export at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, China October 31, 2010. Picture taken October 31, 2010.

China got an early start in rare earth extraction, beginning in the 1950s, according to state media, but the industry only really began to develop in the late 1970s.

China has introduced a tracking system for its rare earth magnet sector, three sources said, as its export restrictions on them begin to cut off customers around the world.

In 2024, China produced 270,000 tons of rare earthsabout six times more than the U.S.and it dominates global refining. When trade tensions flared again, Beijing didn't just talk tough.

President Trump said the U.S. and China had reached a deal to save their trade truce in a post on his Truth Social platform. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/ZUMA Press China’s chokehold on ...

And after China implemented the rare earth license rules, Trump ordered an assessment of the national security risks posed by the US’s reliance on imported minerals, including rare earth elements.

Until 2010, when Beijing began early attempts to limit smuggling, Chinese organized crime syndicates smuggled up to half of China’s annual rare earth production out of the country. Beijing’s ...

Last year, the United States imported about $170 million worth of rare earth elements, including some that China hasn’t restricted yet, according to the United States Geological Survey.

China accounts for 70% of the world’s rare earth mining and, more important, more than 90% of the processing.

The auto industry has been hit particularly hard by China’s rare earth export restrictions, but analysts warn Western defense giants are also vulnerable. Skip to content. Main Navigation.