China rare earth breakthroughrare earth breakthrough could cement dominance
Chinese researchers said they found new rare earth deposits in the country’s icy northeast, a development reported on May 18 that could alter the national balance of these minerals.
The find matters because rare earths are essential for magnets, electronics, electric vehicles and other strategic industries, and China already dominates global supply chains.
- Rare earths are not especially rare in the earth’s crust, but they are difficult to separate cleanly.
- China has spent decades building refining capacity that gives it outsized influence over the global market.
- Most rare earth magnets lose strength at high temperatures unless they use specialized alloys.
