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China Grants Limited Mineral Licenses as U.S. and India Rally Allies to Diversify Supply Chains

China’s ongoing processing bottlenecks are driving the Mineral Security Partnership to secure fresh sources as India accelerates its National Critical Mineral Mission.

Graphite is mined at the Northern Graphite mine plant in Lac-des-Îles, Quebec, March 7, 2024. "There's an enormous amount of graphite in Quebec. It could be the largest reserve in the world," Hugues Jacquemin, CEO of Northern Graphite, tells AFP. Living on land coveted by the mining industry: that's the new reality for many Quebecers. The province, rich in critical minerals, is whetting appetites, but citizens are organizing resistance, worried about their homes and the environmental effects. Because here, the subsoil doesn't belong to the landowners. And many have only recently discovered this. (Photo by Sebastien ST-JEAN / AFP)
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Overview

  • China retains over 90% of rare earth refining and majority control of cobalt and lithium processing despite issuing limited export licenses in July that have scarcely eased backlog delays.
  • The U.S. has updated its mine law and coordinated export controls with Australia to counter China’s midstream dominance and has stockpiled key minerals under a provisional G7 plan.
  • India, currently fully import dependent on lithium, cobalt, nickel and rare earths, has launched the NCMM and joined the Mineral Security Partnership while annulling high-cost block auctions due to limited processing and bidder shortfalls.
  • The Mineral Security Partnership has expanded ties with resource-rich nations such as Argentina and Australia to diversify supply chains away from China’s influence.
  • Analysts warn that processing capacity constraints and geopolitical rivalry remain the largest obstacles to resilient green-energy and defense mineral networks.