Renewables Driven Demand for Rare Earths Leaves America Vulnerable to CCP Extortion

"Whereas China only actually possesses about an estimated one-third of global rare earth reserves, in 2017 it supplied 78% of the 17,000 tons of those materials imported to the U.S.

Making matters even worse, many of the rare earths mined in the USA are processed in the People’s Republic of China because it’s cheaper to have them do it than to pay for American regulatory environmental and workplace safety costs.

Although America has an abundance of rare earths, environmental opposition to mining them has resulted in a regulatory minefield of local, state, and federal rules that has turned permitting into a costly decades-long process.

Lawmakers have all but banned rare earth mineral exploration and development on materials-rich federal lands, and the few once-active mines have been shuttered largely due to compliance costs.

Mountain Pass in California is the sole U.S. remaining operating rare earth mine that lost two years of production due to a 2016 bankruptcy, continues to sends its mined ore to China for processing."
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Renewables Driven Demand for Rare Earths Leaves America Vulnerable to CCP Extortion – STOP THESE THINGS

"The group recently agreed to redirect ores from one of Australia’s largest rare earth miners, Lynas Rare Earth Ltd (ASX: LYC), to the US instead of China, which could increase the importance of Australia in the global market."
Rarex (ASX:REE) share price up 915% in a year as rare earth heats up (msn.com)