Author: Helene Cooper
Published on: 14/04/2025 | 00:00:00

AI Summary:
China’s Halt of Critical Minerals Poses Risk for U.S. Military Programs The Pentagon and defense contractors are heavily reliant on magnets and rare earth minerals mined or processed in China. On Air Force fighter jets, magnets made of rare earth materials are needed to start the engines and provide emergency power. China’s decision to retaliate against President Trump’s sharp increase in tariffs is a warning shot across the bow of American national security. Beijing has reminded the Pentagon that a wide swath of American weaponry is dependent on China. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements that are difficult to separate into usable forms. Yttrium is required for high-temperature jet engine coatings. Some submarines need more than 9,200 pounds of rare earth materials. Pentagon also has stockpiles of some rare earths, but those reserves are not enough to sustain defense companies indefinitely. China has flexed its muscle over the rare earth supply chain in the past. In 2010, Beijing halted rare earths trade with Japan following detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain. The Chinese move caught the attention of the United States, alerting it to the threat posed by China’s control over the minerals’ supply chain. There is historical precedent for the United States’ finding alternatives to crucial elements and minerals during wartime. In World War II, German U-boats sank many Allied cargo ships carrying bauxite from Suriname. “We would potentially have lost the war if we did not get alternative sources,” says Seth G. Jones. The United States turned to Arkansas and built a large stockpile.

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