How the US gave up its edge to China in processing vital rare earth minerals – and what that’s costing

Today, China controls the vast majority of rare earths processing. That gives it enormous political leverage, and its trade truce with the US involving those minerals expires Nov. 10, 2026.

By: Charles Edward Gehrke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: September 23, 2026

Words: 1,359

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 4 days ago

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By Charles Edward Gehrke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Look around you, and you’ll see rare earth elements at work. A phone vibrates because a magnet moves a weight. Its screen was polished with cerium powder. Its connection to the rest of the world crosses oceans on cables amplified with erbium. If you drove today, a rare earth magnet helped you steer, and a cerium compound scrubbed the exhaust.

All of these devices …

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