Aug 4, 06:06 AM

China Tightens Mineral Exports, Pinching Western Defense Supply Chains

China has quietly tightened export controls on rare earths, germanium, antimony and other critical minerals, effectively choking the supply of materials vital to Western defense manufacturers, according to an Aug. 4 Wall Street Journal investigation. Industry sources told the newspaper that the curbs began with a broad suspension of shipments on April 4. China, which accounts for roughly 80 % to 90 % of global rare-earth production, has since held up cargos at domestic ports; one example is a 55-metric-ton load of Australian-mined antimony bound for United States Antimony Corp.’s smelter in Mexico that was stranded in Ningbo. The squeeze is already delaying production of everything from munitions to jet fighters, pushing contractors to scour alternative suppliers and driving prices for some inputs up by five- to sixty-fold, the report said. The disruption underscores Western militaries’ dependence on Chinese raw materials and adds fresh strain to already tense U.S.–China trade relations.

#China #Western #United States Antimony Corp #Mexico #Ningbo #Chinese

Written with ChatGPT .