Rare Earth Metals – ReportWire

The Failed Crusade to Keep a Rare-Earths Mine Out of China’s Hands

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For years, a mining project in Africa held the promise of helping free the West from its dependence on China for rare earths. Some weeks back, it fell into Chinese hands.

The failure of Peak Rare Earths, an Australian mining company, to build a China-free supply of rare-earth minerals offers a look at how Beijing came to dominate the global supply of critical minerals—a position it is now deftly leveraging for geopolitical gain. China has choked off the supply of rare earths to wring key concessions from President Trump in his trade war.

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Jon Emont

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November 22, 2025

Opinion | End U.S. Energy Dependence

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The Trump administration’s renewed focus on securing critical minerals highlights an urgent truth, reinforced in “China Aims to Keep U.S. Military From Obtaining Its Rare Earths” (U.S. News, Nov. 12): America’s energy future depends on what we build and where we build it.

For too long, we have relied on foreign sources for the rare-earth elements and advanced materials that power everything from electric grids and defense systems to the data centers fueling artificial intelligence. Even with the rare-earths deal Mr. Trump struck with China last month, more action is required to diversify supplies and strengthen domestic production as an essential step toward energy security.

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November 20, 2025

How China’s Chokehold on Drugs, Chips and More Threatens the U.S.

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BEIJING—China has demonstrated it can weaponize its control over global supply chains by constricting the flow of critical rare-earth minerals. President Trump went to the negotiating table when the lack of Chinese materials threatened American production, and he reached a truce last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that both sides say will ease the flow of rare earths.

But Beijing’s tools go beyond these critical minerals. Three other industries where China has a chokehold—lithium-ion batteries, mature chips and pharmaceutical ingredients—give an idea of what the U.S. would need to do to free itself fully from vulnerability.

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Yoko Kubota

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November 4, 2025

America’s Hottest New Investment: Rare-Earth Companies

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A cascade of billion-dollar deals is reshaping the once-dormant Western critical-minerals industry, which the U.S. and its allies hope will act as a bulwark against aggressive trade practices by China.

Since China began restricting exports of rare earths in April—causing auto factories to halt production and rare-earth prices to shoot up—a wave of private and government funding has flowed into rare-earth companies. They now have money to hire technical experts, expand plants and make strategic acquisitions as they race to build out a non-Chinese supply of materials required in high-tech manufacturing.

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Jon Emont

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October 27, 2025

It Sits on a Vast Haul of Mineral Wealth. Now This Arctic City Must Be Moved.

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The underground wealth beneath the Arctic city of Kiruna fuels Sweden’s economy and is a central cog in one of Europe’s core defense industries. It has also, quite literally, undermined the city’s foundation, prompting an unprecedented urban relocation project.

Kiruna is home to one the world’s largest deposits of iron ore, used to produce Swedish jet fighters and combat vehicles. Two years ago, mining officials announced that the city, about 90 miles north of the Arctic Circle, also sits on what could be the largest find of rare earths in Europe.

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Sune Engel Rasmussen

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October 25, 2025

Opinion | Allies United Against China on Rare Earths

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he plans to coordinate with allies to counter China’s weaponization of rare-earth minerals. It’s the right move, though he might find it easier to rally the world if President Trump weren’t also hitting our allies with unprovoked unilateral tariffs.

Mr. Bessent earlier in the week accused Beijing of pointing “a bazooka at the supply chains and the industrial base of the entire free world,” by threatening global export controls on products that contain even minuscule amounts of Chinese rare earths. He’s right. China has a stranglehold on these minerals, and it’s a serious problem.

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The Editorial Board

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October 16, 2025

Trump Threatens Higher Tariffs on China Citing Restrictions on Rare-Earth Elements

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President Trump threatened to raise tariffs and impose export controls on China and said there was “no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping after Beijing’s new restrictions on rare-earth materials marked an escalation in tensions between the countries.

China this week announced new export restrictions on rare earth minerals, which are critical components of products from semiconductors to electric vehicles and jet fighters. China dominates processing capabilities for rare earth minerals, giving it leverage over the U.S. and other nations.

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Gavin Bade

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October 10, 2025

China Tightens Grip on Rare Earths Ahead of Expected Trump-Xi Meeting

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SINGAPORE—China tightened its control over critical minerals used to make high-tech products including electric vehicles and jet fighters, threatening to reignite trade tensions with the U.S. ahead of an expected meeting between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

China’s Commerce Ministry said Thursday that foreign suppliers must obtain approval from Beijing to export some products with certain rare-earth materials originating from China if they account for 0.1% or more of the good’s total value. Goods produced with certain technologies from China are also subject to the export controls. Both restrictions apply to products manufactured outside of China.

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Hannah Miao

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October 8, 2025

Eramet Shares Tumble as Gabon Coup Halts Manganese Mining

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By David Sachs and Joshua Kirby

Eramet shares fell Wednesday after the French miner said it was ceasing operations in Gabon, where the military has reportedly seized control of the government in a coup.

At 0811 GMT, shares in Eramet slumped 19% to EUR61.65.

The company said all operations have stopped and rail traffic has been suspended in the West African country, and that it has begun procedures to ensure the safety of staff and facilities of its two subsidiaries there, Comilog and Setrag.

The former operates the Moanda manganese mine–the world’s largest–and Setrag is a rail transport company.

“The group continues to monitor developments in real time,” Eramet said.

Write to David Sachs at david.sachs@wsj.com and to Joshua Kirby at joshua.kirby@wsj.com

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August 30, 2023

Tag: Rare Earth Metals