he U.S. is worried about shortages of critical minerals for electric vehicles, military tech
Nation Apr 13, 2021 5:14 PM EDT
When U.S. companies build military weapons systems, electric vehicle batteries, satellites and wind turbines, they rely heavily on a few dozen “critical minerals†– many of which are mined and refined almost entirely by other countries. Building a single F-35A fighter jet, for example, requires at least 920 pounds of rare earth elements that come primarily from China.
That level of dependence on imports worries the U.S. government.
Natural disasters, civil unrest, trade disputes and company failures can all disrupt a mineral supply chain and the many products that depend on it – making many critical minerals a national security priority.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/the-u-s-is-worried-about-shortages-of-critical-minerals-for-electric-vehicles-military-tech
