China Locks Down Minerals to Squeeze US in Trade War
13th October 2025
n a dramatic escalation of the economic standoff between China and the United States, Beijing has moved to intensify its control over rare earth minerals and magnet technologies — a strategic gambit to block trade and open a new front in the trade war.
U.S. industries and policymakers are scrambling to respond to what some analysts warn is Beijing’s increasing ability to weaponize its near-monopoly over critical minerals.
Since at least April 2025, China has imposed strict export licensing requirements on seven rare earth elements and magnet materials — among them samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium — citing “national security” and dual-use concerns.