China Uses Rare Earth Export Controls to Pressure United States

The Government of China is utilizing its dominance in the supply of yttrium and other rare earth elements to exert geopolitical pressure on the United States. Following export controls imposed in early 2025, shipments of yttrium—essential for electronics, optics, and jet engine coatings—halted for several months. These disruptions caused production stoppages across the U.S. semiconductor, energy, and aerospace sectors.

While some shipments resumed after interventions by the White House, deliveries remain sporadic. Beijing has applied similar restrictions to the supply of tungsten, terbium, dysprosium, gallium, and germanium. These actions follow a summit between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump.

In response, the administration of Donald Trump has attempted to use U.S. energy exports as a strategic counterweight to China's mineral dominance. Experts indicate that China will likely maintain this leverage through at least 2030, as the development of alternative mining and refining capacities in the West will take several years to complete.