United States Accelerates Global Search for Rare EaDespite Recentrths Trade Deal with China
The United States is intensifying its global efforts to secure alternative sources of rare earth elements and other critical minerals, signaling a broader strategic objective that goes well beyond the terms of its recent trade agreement with China. Analysts interpret the flurry of diplomatic and policy activity as evidence that Washington remains determined to reduce dependence on China’s dominant rare earths supply chain, especially amid concerns that geopolitical tensions could resurface.
This renewed push by the U.S. government includes high-level diplomatic engagements and the expansion of the federal critical minerals list. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump held a series of meetings with leaders from resource-rich Central Asian nations as part of a broader campaign to cultivate new partnerships in the global race for mineral security. The Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act had already set the groundwork for these efforts, but under Trump’s second administration, the urgency appears to have escalated.
This comes despite a notable diplomatic gesture from Beijing. As part of the trade deal negotiated in South Korea last month, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced the suspension of export controls on “dual-use items” involving several rare earth-related minerals for a period of one year. The decision was widely seen as an attempt to ease tensions and promote economic cooperation following months of strained relations.
However, U.S. policymakers and strategic analysts appear unconvinced that the move signals a permanent shift in China’s trade posture. “It would be very naive to think that China will not make it difficult again to access rare earth elements and critical minerals,” said Dexter Roberts, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub. “The U.S. doesn’t make it easy for China, either.”
Roberts and other analysts warn that any temporary détente between Washington and Beijing does not address the underlying vulnerabilities in the U.S. supply chain for critical raw materials. Rare earth elements, which are essential in the production of advanced electronics, defense technologies, renewable energy systems, and electric vehicles, remain heavily concentrated in Chinese hands. China currently supplies over 60 percent of the world’s rare earth materials and processes an even greater share.
To mitigate this strategic imbalance, the U.S. has signed rare earths and critical minerals cooperation agreements with countries including Australia, Canada, Mongolia, and several African nations. Most recently, the U.S. Geological Survey and Department of State have engaged with governments in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, aiming to unlock access to untapped mineral reserves.
Washington’s updated critical minerals list now includes over 50 materials deemed essential for economic and national security. This expanded framework is being used to direct funding, streamline regulatory approvals, and incentivize private sector investment in domestic and allied rare earth mining and processing capabilities.
While China’s temporary easing of export restrictions may reduce short-term supply pressures, U.S. policymakers are pressing ahead with long-term diversification strategies. “Access to secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals is no longer just an economic priority—it is a national security imperative,” said a senior U.S. Commerce Department official in a recent briefing.
In addition to new trade agreements, the U.S. is also funding research into rare earth recycling, substitution technologies, and environmentally responsible extraction methods to reduce future dependence on foreign sources.
The rare earths issue has become a focal point in the broader geopolitical contest between the U.S. and China. As the world’s two largest economies continue to compete in areas ranging from semiconductors to artificial intelligence, control over the supply of foundational materials like rare earths will remain a strategic battleground.
