China has escalated its control over vital mineral exports in retaliation to U.S. tariffs, intensifying global supply chain fears as it tightens curbs on rare earths, battery metals, and strategic technologies critical for defence and green energy.
China has intensified its control over key strategic mineral exports in response to U.S. tariffs, raising global concerns over supply chain vulnerabilities. On Friday, Beijing added several rare earth elements to its export control list, signalling its readiness to weaponise its dominance in critical mineral markets.
The restrictions follow a series of curbs introduced since 2023. In February, China required export licences for products related to tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, indium, and molybdenum—metals vital for defence and clean energy industries. January saw proposals to limit technology exports for processing lithium, gallium, and battery components.
Last December, China outright banned exports of antimony, gallium, and germanium to the U.S. These metals are essential for electronics, solar tech, and defence systems. China controls up to 90% of global refining for these elements.
Also in 2023, China restricted graphite exports—critical for electric vehicle batteries—and banned the export of rare earth magnet manufacturing technology. With near-total dominance over rare earths refining, China’s moves are forcing Western firms to rethink sourcing and bolster domestic capabilities.
As trade tensions deepen, these strategic controls could reshape global supply chains and accelerate the race for mineral independence.
The Orenburg gas processing plant, the world's largest facility of its kind, has been forced to halt its intake of gas from Kazakhstan following a Ukr...
Israel launched air strikes and artillery fire on Gaza on Sunday, in what officials called a response to militant attacks, as the U.S.-mediated ceasef...
The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed on Sunday after thieves broke in and stole “priceless” jewellery from the Napoleon collection, the French go...
Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy said he is not afraid of going to prison, days before beginning a five-year sentence over his 2007 campaign fi...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed until Hamas returns the bodies of d...
The Orenburg gas processing plant, the world's largest facility of its kind, has been forced to halt its intake of gas from Kazakhstan following a Ukrainian drone strike, according to Kazakhstan's energy ministry.
Israel launched air strikes and artillery fire on Gaza on Sunday, in what officials called a response to militant attacks, as the U.S.-mediated ceasefire came under renewed strain.
This September, I had a chance to visit Yerevan for the 108th edition of the Rose-Roth seminar, traditionally held by the NATO Parliamentary Assembly since 1990 and intended for post-socialist countries.
The Louvre Museum in Paris was closed on Sunday after thieves broke in and stole “priceless” jewellery from the Napoleon collection, the French government said.
Video from the USGS (United States Geological Survey) showed on Friday (19 September) the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting and spewing lava.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
In the first nine months of this year, 10.2 billion cubic metres of gas were produced from the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea, according to operational data released by the Ministry of Energy.
Apple’s latest smartphone, the iPhone Air, sold out within minutes of its launch in China on Friday, highlighting the brand’s enduring appeal among Chinese consumers despite growing competition from local Android makers.
Wall Street closed lower on Thursday as renewed concerns about regional banks and intensifying U.S.-China trade tensions weighed on investor sentiment, pulling major indexes off recent record highs.
Giorgio Armani's deputy managing director, Giuseppe Marsocci, is set to be appointed chief executive of the Italian fashion house, a source said on Thursday, confirming a local media report.
Tesla has told the Delaware Supreme Court that Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package should have been restored last year through a shareholder vote, as the company appeals a lower court ruling that rescinded the CEO’s record compensation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment