U.S. and Japan Target China's Yttrium Choke Point Ahead of Trump-Xi Summit

Highlights

• The U.S. is 100% net-import reliant on yttrium, with 70% of direct imports sourced from China during 2021–2024.
• China's April 2025 export controls have caused intermittent shipments, leaving aerospace suppliers testing older chemistries and recycling as stopgap measures.
• U.S. and Japanese officials met September 10 to address yttrium and permanent-magnet bottlenecks, signaling the issue has escalated from procurement to strategic policy.
• A new mine alone may not solve the problem if material still requires Chinese separation or years of qualification before entering aircraft engines.