The Pentagon Is Finding Out How Difficult It Is To Secure Weapons-Grade Minerals Without China

Matt Green, mining/crushing supervisor at MP Materials, displays crushed ore before it is sent to the mill at the MP Materials rare earth mine in Mountain Pass, California, U.S. January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Reuters: American quandary: how to secure weapons-grade minerals without China

MOUNTAIN PASS, Calif. (Reuters) - The United States wants to curb its reliance on China for specialized minerals used to make weapons and high-tech equipment, but it faces a Catch-22.

It only has one rare earths mine - and government scientists have been told not to work with it because of its Chinese ties.

The mine is southern California’s Mountain Pass, home to the world’s eighth-largest reserves of the rare earths used in missiles, fighter jets, night-vision goggles and other devices.

But the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has told government scientists not to collaborate with the mine’s owner, MP Materials, the DOE’s Critical Materials Institute told Reuters.

This is because MP Materials is almost a tenth-owned by a Chinese investor and relies heavily on Chinese sales and technical know-how, according to the company.

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WNU Editor: The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has shown to the world how unreliable China is. Couple this with past Chinese threats to use rare earths in disputes, it is understandable why the Pentagon wants alternative sources .... China Raises Threat of Rare-Earths Cutoff to U.S. (Foreign Policy). I do expect the U.S. will quickly secure weapons-grade minerals that are independent from China. It will be more expensive, but consider how important these minerals are, it is a price that many will be willing to pay.