Trump’s pen can counter China on rare earth minerals

Suddenly, 17 elements of the periodic table that we all studied in high school chemistry are in the news. Rare earth minerals are at the bottom of the periodic table. They are necessary inputs into several hundred advanced technology goods, including smartphones, computer hard drives, electric vehicles, and semiconductors. Rare earths are also components in a range of important military systems.

Rare earths are headline news because they are bargaining chips in the trade war between the United States and China. In early April, in response to President Donald Trump‘s tariffs, China restricted sales of 7 rare earths to the U.S. These restrictions caused the media to hyperventilate.

Today, China essentially controls the global supply of rare earth minerals. China supplies about 90% of the world’s rare earth minerals. The U.S. imports 74% of those Chinese rare earths. Denying access to these essential inputs

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