Eyeing China, Pentagon briefs Congress on rare earths report
- Document is tied to federal programme designed to bolster US domestic production capabilities
- Rising US-China tensions have sparked concerns that Beijing could use dominant position as supplier of rare earths for leverage in trade war
The US Defence Department has briefed Congress on a report on rare earth minerals as it looks to reduce American reliance on China, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, amid mounting concern in Washington about Beijing’s role as a supplier.
Although the Pentagon did not provide details of the report, it said the document was tied to a federal programme designed to bolster domestic production capabilities through targeted economic incentives.
Rare earths are a group of 17 chemical elements used in a wide range of consumer products, from iPhones to electric car motors, as well as military jet engines, satellites and lasers.
Rising tensions between the United States and China have sparked concerns that Beijing could use its dominant position as a supplier of rare earths for leverage in the trade war between the world’s top two economic powers.
Between 2004 and 2017, China accounted for 80 per cent of US rare earth imports.