BLUF: Rare Earth Restrictions

While many in Washington are concerned about impacts the tariffs on China will have on the overall economy, some are looking much deeper into implications of a fallout with Beijing. 

Of note is the escalatory nature of the back-and-forth between the two world powers. In response to the Trump Administration’s announcement, China imposed export controls on a wide range of critical rare earth minerals that happen to be fundamental to sophisticated manufacturing capabilities. And they do have leverage. In fact, data from the 2025 United States Geological Survey shows that China is the world leader for rare earth reserves. With 44 million tons of rare earth oxides, it is home to nearly half of the world’s total known reserves. So with this announcement, Beijing not only unveiled American reliance on these commodities, but hit us where it particularly hurts for Washington, the defense sector. 

Rare earths are crucial for a wide range of defense technologies, including the F-35 fighter jet, Virginia-class submarines, Tomahawk missiles, Predator drones, and other advanced weaponry. And, as Capitol Hill is painfully aware, the U.S. is already at a disadvantage when it comes to manufacturing these defense technologies. 

While only time will tell if the U.S. can become resource independent from its biggest global competitor, expect our nation’s leaders to push the U.S. military industrial base to increase the timeline on their plans to address this serious vulnerability.

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