The Asian nation controls the overwhelming majority of the rare earth mining, refining and manufacturing capacity in the world, with the resources used in a broad array of civilian and military applications. US legislators have sought to shore up domestic rare earths production after realizing that Beijing could unplug Washington from its supplies.
With electric vehicle (EV) adoption set to turbocharge demand for rare earth elements in Canada and the US this decade, attempts are being made to loosen the region's dependence on China for the sourcing and processing of such critically important energy transition materials.