Highlights

• China controls 65-90% of key metals.
• The U.S. imported over half of 31 critical minerals in 2022.
• The U.S. faces a severe talent shortage, with mining engineering graduates dropping 39% since 2016.
• Proposed solution involves recruiting Chinese experts to build domestic critical minerals supply chain capabilities.

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In April China’s halt of seven rare earth metals—and its broader dominance in refining—has exposed a U.S. vulnerability that cannot be solved by infrastructure alone. The author, Owen Tritt writing form Niskanen Center (opens in a new tab)  contends that without a rapid infusion of skilled talent, America’s ambition to build a domestic critical minerals supply chain will remain stalled.

Anchored in Fact – Where the Numbers Stack Up

The cited figures on China’s control of 65–90% of key metals and over two-thirds of the rare earth supply are consistent with U.S. Geological Survey and industry reports. The statement that the U.S. imported over half of the 31 of 50 critical minerals in 2022, with China as the sole source for nine, is verifiable. Workforce data—such as the 39% drop in U.S. mining engineering graduates since 2016, and only 162 graduates in 2023—matches publicly available education statistics. The bottleneck in rare earth processing expertise is well documented, with fewer than a few dozen specialists outside China.

Challenging Proposition

The argument that recruiting Chinese experts could both strengthen U.S. capability and “deprive China” of talent borrows logic from Cold War precedent but is more speculative in a modern context. Unlike the Soviet defections of the 1990s, today’s Chinese talent mobility is constrained by state controls, legal risk, and political tensions. The author’s suggestion that such recruitment could have a large-scale strategic effect is plausible in theory but untested on this scale.

Seeking Chinese Immigrants

While factually grounded, the narrative clearly advocates for immigration policy reform, particularly the Critical Minerals Workforce Enhancement Act. The tone positions immigration—especially from China—as both a stopgap and a geopolitical lever, with limited discussion of security vetting, technology transfer risks, or potential political backlash. Alternative strategies like accelerated domestic training, automation, or allied workforce pooling receive far less attention.

REEx Takeaway

The analysis correctly identifies workforce shortages as a critical bottleneck in U.S. critical mineral ambitions and backs this with strong data. Where it shifts from reporting to advocacy is in its strong push for recruiting Chinese experts as a central solution—a policy choice with complex security, diplomatic, and practical implications that the article only briefly acknowledges. For investors and policy-watchers, the hard truth is that America’s mineral independence clock is ticking faster than its talent pipeline can be built. Still, the right blend of domestic training, allied cooperation, and carefully managed foreign expertise will be the real measure of success.

Note Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) has launched a critical mineral and rare earth element supply chain talent matching service in the hopes of contributing to solving the ex-China talent challenges. Part of our mission is the establishment of partnerships with vocational schools, community colleges, and universities, as well as companies and government agencies.

The Niskanen Center is a public policy think tank and advocacy organization that promotes policies aimed at advancing prosperity, opportunity, and human flourishing. They focus on evidence-based solutions, particularly in areas like climate change, immigration, and state capacity. The organization bridges political divides by working with both left and right-leaning individuals and groups, advocating for pragmatic and innovative solutions to American challenges.

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