The Trump administration's trade war with China has sparked export restrictions on rare earth elements (REEs), crucial for US military technologies. The Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that these restrictions endanger national security as the US relies on these materials for advanced weaponry like F-35 jets and submarines. China’s control over REEs allows it to boost its military capabilities far faster than the US can keep pace. Current efforts within the US to address these vulnerabilities are lagging, with few heavy rare earth processing facilities operational, putting the nation's defense technology at risk.
The United States is particularly vulnerable for these supply chains. REEs are crucial for a range of defense technologies, including F-35 fighter jets, Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, Tomahawk missiles, radar systems, and the Joint Direct Attack Munition series of smart bombs.
Further bans on critical minerals inputs will only widen the gap, enabling China to strengthen its military capabilities more quickly than the United States.
China, with its stranglehold on rare earths and export controls on the technology needed to process them, is putting the US in a tight spot.
There is currently no heavy rare earth separation taking place in the US, the study noted, and despite Pentagon development efforts, it remains years away from resolving these vulnerabilities.
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