Overview
- The United States has cast critical raw materials as a national‑security priority and is pushing partners to coordinate action.
- China controls more than 90 percent of heavy rare‑earth refining capacity, making processing the key vulnerability rather than mining.
- Price guarantees and state‑backed financing are on the agenda to make new mines and processing plants commercially viable over the long build‑out.
- Diversification efforts include interest in Greenland’s Kringlerne deposit and potential access to South American resources via Mercosur ties.
- Japan’s response to past Chinese restrictions is cited as a model, and a coordinated G7/EU approach could strengthen Europe’s position in reshaping supply chains.