Category Geopolitics & Resources

The Rare Earth Chokehold

Periodic table block showing the 17 rare earth elements, including scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanide series from lanthanum to lutetium

Why Control of Minerals Is Replacing Control of Oil In June 2026, China added two American rare earth miners, MP Materials and USA Rare Earth, to its export control list. Around the same time, two Japanese nationals employed by Fuji…