Western effort to break China’s rare earths monopoly
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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Milestone
Le Pentagone va investir 400 millions de dollars dans une mine australienne de terres rares
No separate article for this desk or language yet.
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· date approximate Background
G7 leaders adopted a common text on critical minerals in Évian.
In June, leaders of the G7 adopted a common text regarding critical minerals during a meeting held in Évian.
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· date approximate Background
US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to reduce dependence on Chinese minerals.
In October 2025, US President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed an agreement aimed at reducing reliance on Chinese minerals. Following the signing, both the United States and Australia promised to invest $1 billion each into specific projects.
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· date approximate Background
China applied export restrictions on scandium for defense-related products.
In 2025, China applied export restrictions on scandium intended for defense-related products. China holds a near-monopoly on the global production and refining of rare earths and largely dominates the scandium market.
Scandium is utilized within the defense industry, aviation, and data centers.