Rare Earths: America’s Frontline in the U.S.-China Trade War

Jon Wertheim reports from the only operating rare-earth mine in the United States, a surprising flashpoint in the economic standoff with China. Located about an hour southwest of Las Vegas in the Mojave Desert, the site is part of a larger struggle over metals that power smartphones, robotics, fighter jets and drones. China’s dominance in those supplies has made rare earths a strategic vulnerability for the U.S. and its allies. When Beijing restricted shipments last year, Washington scrambled for alternatives. Company founder James Litinsky says his firm was summoned to the Pentagon, where it became clear the president had issued a directive to fix the supply problem as quickly as possible. The mine’s operations, investments and the broader push to rebuild domestic supply chains now stand at the center of efforts to reduce dependence on China and secure materials vital to both civilian technology and national defense. Sunday.