Rare Earths
US clean energy policy hits strategic paradox: security restrictions collide with decarbonization timelines
Brookings analysis exposes how tariff escalation and capital restrictions on Chinese components simultaneously advance strategic autonomy and delay the energy transition the US claims to accelerate.
China Triples Export Controls in Five Years, Weaponizing Supply Chain Dominance
Beijing's restrictions on gallium, rare earths, and graphite now threaten Western AI, defense, and EV industries that depend on Chinese refining capacity for 70-90% of strategic minerals.
US and Australia Deploy $600M to Break China’s Rare Earths Stranglehold
Joint financing for Tronox refinery project marks largest coordinated Western push yet to crack Beijing's 85% processing monopoly over minerals essential to semiconductors, EV batteries, and advanced weapons.
Japan Deploys Combat Troops to Philippines for First Time Since WWII
Tokyo's 7,000-strong trilateral exercise with US and Philippine forces signals shift from pacifism to proactive deterrence, reshaping regional security architecture as China weaponizes rare-earth supply chains.
China’s PPI Exits 41-Month Deflation as Commodity Shock Threatens Global Margins
March's 0.5% gain breaks three-year decline, but energy-driven reversal forces central banks into stagflation trap while reshoring accelerates.
Brazil-India Rare Earths Pact Targets China’s Processing Stranglehold
South-South partnership aims to break Beijing's 91% control of critical mineral refining needed for chips and AI infrastructure.
NATO’s $145 Billion Munitions Gap Undermines Historic Spending Milestone
All 32 member states hit 2% GDP defense target for first time, yet alliance identifies production deficit exposing decade-long industrial atrophy and raw material dependencies.
China Launches Formal Trade Probes Against US in Direct Retaliation
Beijing weaponizes investigation authority to match Trump's Section 301 tactics, escalating trade tensions two months before May summit.
Australia-EU Critical Minerals Pact Formalises Western Supply Chain Split From China
Trade deal eliminating 98% of tariffs on Australian minerals marks permanent bifurcation of global tech inputs into competing geopolitical blocs.
China Elevates Critical Minerals to National Security Doctrine
Beijing's 15th Five-Year Plan transforms rare earth stockpiling into strategic instrument for prolonged US confrontation, creating asymmetries across defense, tech, and energy transition supply chains.
China’s $120 Billion Critical Minerals Strategy Threatens Western Tech Sovereignty
Beijing's vertical integration of lithium, cobalt, and rare earth supply chains—from mine to magnet—creates structural monopoly power over semiconductors, EVs, and defence systems.
Pentagon Bets on Rare-Earths Reshoring as China’s 90% Processing Grip Turns Strategic Liability
Defense Department backs equity stakes, price floors, and allied partnerships to break decades-long dependence on Beijing's critical-minerals chokehold.