Why Is This Rare Earth Metal 346 Times More Expensive In America Than in China?

Samarium sells for as much as 346 times more in North America than in China, and that price is just a preview of what American industry would pay the day Beijing stops exporting. Jet engines, industrial motors, EVs, wind turbines and medical scanners all run on rare earth magnets, and most U.S. manufacturers still buy theirs from China, at Chinese …

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Lula’s Brazil win puts rare earths in Trump’s crosshairs

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s election victory is set to reinforce government control over the country’s vast rare earth resources, raising the stakes for foreign miners and Washington’s efforts to reduce dependence on China. Lula defeated far-right Senator Flávio Bolsonaro in Sunday’s closely contested runoff, securing a fourth nonconsecutive term if electoral authorities confirm the result. His next …

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Why Trump Can’t Afford to Lose The Rare Earth Race

For years, the West has searched for a technological escape hatch from rare earths. Engineers have developed new motor designs, alternative magnet chemistries, and materials that reduce or even eliminate the need for some critical minerals. Every time China tightens export controls, those efforts receive another burst of attention. They’re worth pursuing. But they don’t answer the question manufacturers have …

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Chile’s rare earth ambitions hit refining bottleneck

Chile’s push to become a major rare earth supplier faces a costly industrial gap as the country advances mining and metal production projects without the separation capacity needed to build an integrated supply chain, according to a new study by GEM Mining Consulting. The challenge came into focus with the Oct. 7 inauguration of a demonstration plant at Huachipato in …

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How Bad Would It Get If China Blocks Rare Earths to America?

Taiwan is the next pressure point that will test China’s weaponization of rare earth metals. When Japan indicated it would not remain neutral in a Taiwan conflict, Beijing responded by sharply restricting exports of several heavy rare earth materials, including dysprosium and terbium. Japan was the test case. With U.S.-China tensions escalating, a confrontation could likely lead to an immediate …

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Japan Nears Rare Earth Shortage as China Tightens Supply

Japan could exhaust supplies of a rare earth metal essential to cars, jet engines and semiconductor production within months, prompting Tokyo to seek Washington’s help in persuading China to loosen export restrictions, the Financial Times reports. Japanese officials and trading company executives warned that shortages of yttrium could begin before year-end unless China releases more material or buyers secure alternative …

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China’s Rare Earth Strategy and the Future of the South China Sea

The rise of seabed mining will add new complexity to the South China Sea disputes. In August 2026, Japan and the United States worked together to explore extracting rare-earth-rich mud from the seabed near Minamitorishima. It offered a glimpse into the next phase of critical minerals competition. The race for rare earths is no longer confined to land mines and …

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Interest in rare earths surges in Brazil on several fronts

Interest in the rare earths sector has surged in Brazil, ranging from more mature initiatives to preliminary analyses of projects in a segment in which the country has the potential to become a global powerhouse. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of research authorizations for rare earths increased 485.4%, according to data from the National Mining Agency (ANM), the sector’s regulator. …

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China, EU agree on dialogue, cars and rare earths after trade talks

China and the European Union reached an “understanding” on hybrid vehicles on Friday, as their commerce chiefs concluded talks with an agreement to strengthen dialogue, dispelling fears of a full-blown trade war. The EU’s Maros Sefcovic and China’s Wang Wentao agreed both sides would adhere to “procedures concerning company price undertakings” of hybrid cars, Beijing’s commerce ministry said, citing a …

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Indonesia, US strengthen cooperation on rare earths

Indonesia’s Trade Minister Budi Santoso met the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to strengthen trade ties with Indonesia through the Business 20 (B20) forum. Minister Santoso stated Indonesia is opening up business cooperation opportunities for the U.S. private sector, from downstream industries and value-added production to supplier development. Furthermore, opportunities for collaboration remain open in strategic sectors such as rare earth …

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