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Here’s a Way Out of Our Rare-Earths Mess

Rogue Valley

Lead or get out of the way
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Here’s a Way Out of Our Rare-Earths Mess

China controls substances so valuable that the Pentagon dares not act. It’s up to the Senate now....


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Defense contractor supply security is tenuous.
 
First of all, "rare" more accurately can be described as "difficult" to extract and separate. The US supply chain needs to place non bid contracts so domestic producers will produce so the defense department can stockpile. The material is all over the place. You just have to do a lot of chemistry to get it in a usable form.

The problem isn't the materials, it's China's mercantilism. Mercantilism is a hard game to play when your export market begins to fall apart. You can be sure the Chinese, among others, are greatly in fear of the US presidential election. It's a classic "globalism vs nationalism" contest. China depends of globalism to survive, and uses it's market muscle as it pleases.
 
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