BOOM
https://twitter.com/1stArmoredDiv/status/1206563829599129600?s=20
They're called rare earth metals because they're dispersed, and don't run in veins like other metals. Rare earth metals are quite common but very tough to mine. You need to pull up TONS of material and chemically break it all down to isolate small amounts of REM. The USA has large reserves of REMs too. The mining infrastructure and willingness to tear up your precious environments to collect REMs is the hard part. China has no concern for their local environment and they've pushed TONS of money directly into mining companies. Meanwhile in the USA the EPA has hamstrung mining operations and we've resorted to buying them from overseas.
The REM is a big trade concern but in time the USA will get our own mining operations fired up. There has to be tarriffs or trade restrictions to keep the domestic mining operations profitable and therefore operational.
My 2 cents
Diane Feinstein has been a great ally to China in the Rare Earth Metal trade issues. She has done a lot to hamstring US mining operations with the EPA.
>https://www.nationalrepublicantrust.org/special-report–democrat-senator-dianne-feinstein-china-s-special-channel-to-washington.html