Reuters reported yesterday that the US Advanced Vehicle Suppliers Alliance wrote to Trump, stating that "if there is no reliable access to these components and magnets, automotive suppliers will be unable to produce critical automotive parts, including automatic transmissions, throttle bodies, alternators, various motors, sensors, seat belts, speakers, lights, power steering systems, and cameras."
The alliance also said that if these essential automotive parts are unavailable, it is only a matter of time before US auto factories are affected. "In severe cases, it may be necessary to reduce production or even shut down vehicle assembly lines," the report stated. It was mentioned that the American Automotive Supplier Association participated in signing the letter.
It was reported that at least ten kilograms of rare earth materials are used for the production of each new energy electric passenger car. Additionally, according to calculations by the US Department of Defense, each F-35 fighter jet contains approximately 900 pounds (about 408 kilograms) of rare earth materials, while a nuclear submarine requires over 9,200 pounds (about 4,173 kilograms) of rare earth materials. From fighters, drones, missiles, electric vehicles, to mobile phone chips, neodymium, yttrium, scandium, dysprosium, and 17 other key elements are indispensable. China is the absolute leader in the rare earth sector, producing 90% of the world's rare earth resources and processing more than 99% of them. This is not just about reserves; the key technologies for processing rare earth materials are also in China's hands. Two-thirds of the rare earth materials mined by MP Materials, which owns the only rare earth mine in the United States, need to be transported to China for processing.
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833723921998924/
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