🧲 What are Rare Earths?
Rare earths refer to 17 elements, with "rare" signifying their difficulty in extraction.
They are widely used in almost all technological products in our lives, such as: Speakers, vibration motors, and screen polishing in mobile phones; motors and batteries in electric vehicles; chip manufacturing, radar, missile systems, satellite communications…
Although each product uses only a small amount, without them, high-precision equipment simply cannot be manufactured.
For example, an electric vehicle uses approximately 1-2 kilograms of rare earths.
🌏 Which Countries Have Rare Earths?
China has the world's largest rare earth resources, accounting for about one-third of global reserves.
China not only has the resources, but more importantly, it possesses the world's most complete mining, separation, and processing industrial chain.
Vietnam, Brazil, and Russia also have considerable resources, but extraction is difficult, and they lack a complete industrial system.
Although the United States has mines, much of the raw material still needs to be shipped to China for processing.
🇨🇳 China Holds the Dominance!
China accounts for over 70% of global rare earth production and more than 85% of processing.
The United States imports over 70% of its rare earths from China annually, particularly for high-performance magnets used in military, semiconductor, and electric vehicle industries, making decoupling virtually impossible.
🔁 Can they be replaced?
In the short term, there are virtually no truly equivalent substitutes.
Some magnets can be replaced with ferrite or cobalt alloys, but their performance is significantly inferior.
Recycling is an important future direction, but currently, the cost is high and the efficiency is insufficient.
Therefore, rare earths remain an indispensable basic raw material.
🧾 How is the Sino-US rare earth game progressing?
Although there is no publicly announced rare earth agreement, China has always been considered to hold the "rare earth card."
During the Sino-US trade dispute, China did not impose tariffs on rare earth exports but repeatedly signaled "possible export restrictions." The United States, on the other hand, classified rare earths as a strategic resource, exempted them from import tariffs, and invested in developing its domestic industries. Recent news indicates that an agreement has been reached.
⛏ Will rare earths run out?
Global rare earth reserves are currently abundant, theoretically enough to last for over a century.
However, the problem lies in the limited number of mines that can be stably mined, are cost-effective, and meet environmental requirements.
In recent years, global exploration has accelerated.
Simultaneously, recycling technologies and material alternatives are continuously being developed.
📌 Summary: Rare earth elements are key materials in modern technology.
From electric vehicles and wind power to AI chips and defense systems, they are indispensable.
And China is the true master of this seemingly niche resource.