China's Rare Mineral Clampdown Exposes U.S. Vulnerabilities Amid Trade Tensions

Highlights

• China controls 70% of U.S. rare earth imports and has imposed export restrictions on over a dozen critical minerals.
• Recent customs seizures of antimony and bismuth highlight Beijing's enforcement of strategic mineral controls.
• U.S. industrial resilience now depends on developing domestic refining capabilities and alternative supply chains.

As reported by the South China Morning Post, (opens in a new tab) China continues to tighten its grip on critical minerals despite a nominal tariff truce with the United States, signaling its intent to wield rare earths and strategic metals as powerful levers in ongoing trade negotiations. Recent seizures of smuggled antimony and bismuth at Hong Kong and Guangxi customs underscore the escalating enforcement of Beijing’s export controls on materials vital to U.S. defense and technology supply chains.

China currently supplies about 70% of U.S. rare earth imports and controls the refining of key strategic elements used in semiconductors, missiles, and fighter jets, like the F-35, which alone requires over 400 kg of rare earths. With more than a dozen critical minerals now under export restrictions, the message is clear: China’s resource dominance remains its ultimate trump card.

For the U.S., any long-term industrial resilience now hinges on urgent action to build domestic refining, secure alternative supply partners, and accelerate investment across the full critical mineral value chain.  But when it comes to the urgent access to heavy rare earth elements and military needs, it’s not clear how much time is left.