China has clamped down hard on exports of medium to heavy rare earths, causing many industries in the United States to face the risk of closure.

April 6th, according to Bloomberg News, China's export control on medium and heavy rare earth-related items has put multiple industries and enterprises in the United States at risk of closure.

According to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey, China is a major global supplier of rare earth materials, accounting for nearly 70% of global production. The USGS stated that from 2020 to 2023, 70% of the rare earth compounds and metals imported by the United States came from China.

Bloomberg News reported that the above measures are expected to have a wide-ranging impact on American businesses, as these rare earth elements are used in optical lasers, radar equipment, high-power magnets for wind turbines, jet engine coatings, communications, and other advanced technologies.

China's export control on medium and heavy rare earth-related items will create serious supply chain bottlenecks for the U.S. defense industry.

Based on the atomic weight and physical and chemical properties of rare earth elements, they are divided into light, medium, and heavy rare earth elements. Although some countries claim to have rare earth mines, they are mostly light rare earths. For example, Vietnam's rare earth reserves are said to be second only to China, ranking second in the world, but 70% of Vietnam's rare earth resources are light rare earths. Since the scarcity and importance of light rare earths cannot compare with those of heavy rare earths.

Although medium and heavy rare earths account for only 10% of all rare earths, elements such as yttrium, dysprosium, and terbium are called "war metals" and are core materials for manufacturing nuclear submarines, stealth aircraft, supersonic missile guidance systems, etc. This time, China banned the export of terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, yttrium, etc., all of which are heavy rare earths.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7490210004679623220/

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