Highlights
- China has blocked export licenses for samarium, a crucial rare earth element essential for manufacturing fighter jets and defense systems.
- Samarium cobalt magnets are critical for military equipment, with each F-35 fighter jet requiring up to 50 pounds of these magnets.
- The embargo reveals China's near-monopoly on rare earth extraction and potential to weaponize strategic material supply chains.
China has pulled the pin on a geopolitical grenade, and the U.S. defense industrial base may be the first to take the hit.
Amid escalating trade tensions, Beijing has refused export licenses for samarium, a rare earth element essential to the production of fighter jets, smart munitions, and high-precision defense systems. While limited licenses have resumed for certain civilian-use rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium, samarium remains under embargo, according to experts cited in The New York Times, CNBC, and a few different media outlets in India.
Samarium cobalt magnets are indispensable to U.S. national defense. Each F-35 fighter jet contains up to 50 pounds of samarium magnets. Without this material, production grinds to a halt. Lockheed Martin, the jet’s primary manufacturer, is already facing disruptions. “If the samarium ban continues, it will cripple the F-35 program,” warned William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce via CNBC (opens in a new tab). Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) reached out to Lockheed Martin for a comment.
This is not a hypothetical threat. China’s Ministry of Commerce has quietly targeted samarium as a strategic chokehold, while releasing other elements to maintain the appearance of cooperation. This calculated move underscores China’s near-monopoly over rare earth extraction and processing—a reality the West has long failed to address.
In a New York Times interview, Stanley Trout, a metallurgy expert at Denver’s Metropolitan State University, said, “This isn't just about supply chain friction.” He continued ,“This is about military readiness. Without samarium, you're not just pausing production—you're eroding deterrence.”
The global defense community is now on edge. The United States is not alone in its reliance on Chinese samarium. NATO supply chains are deeply integrated. From missiles to submarines, Western weapons platforms rely on rare earth magnets, and China holds the master switch. President Donald Trump understands the problem, we believe, and undoubtedly, Washington is launching a strategy to mitigate these risks. However, little has been made public, and we believe that a full-blown industrial policy is necessary.
REEx warns that this latest embargo, despite a ‘deal’ in place for a framework, may only be the beginning. Samarium’s military specificity makes it an ideal lever for Beijing. Unlike other rare earths with commercial crossover, samarium’s primary use is in weapons, making it the perfect pressure point.
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