Minerals, Magnets, and Military Capability: China’s Rare Earth Weaponization Should Be a Wake-Up Call
Macdonald Amoah, Morgan Bazilian and Jahara Matisek | 07.10.25
Minerals, Magnets, and Military Capability: China’s Rare Earth Weaponization Should Be a Wake-Up Call
When China imposed export controls on seven of the seventeen rare earth elements in April 2025, it wasn’t just a trade policy tweak—it was a shot across the bow of the US defense industrial base. American fighter jets, satellites, guided missiles, and submarines all rely on high-performance magnets built with rare earths like neodymium, samarium, and dysprosium. This blocking action by China followed earlier prohibitions on gallium and germanium, which are foundational to infrared optics and radar systems. These materials are overwhelmingly Chinese controlled, processed, and manufactured—and American reliance on foreign minerals and rare earths exposes critical vulnerabilities.
China refines over 85 percent of the world’s rare earths and produces nearly 90 percent of high-performance rare earth magnets. That means US weapon systems, from F-35s and Virginia-class submarines to hypersonic weapon systems and precision-guided munitions, are all critically dependent on materials from strategic rivals. Exotic minerals are no longer just for the green revolution; this is about the United States and its allies having the raw materials needed to sustain a future war.
What began as a commercial pressure tactic has escalated into a strategic stress test of the US defense industrial base. American defense firms are already reporting procurement delays, while companies like General Motors are scrambling to source non-Chinese magnets to avoid broader industrial paralysis. Just weeks after the April restrictions took effect, multiple defense suppliers—including subcontractors for radar and propulsion systems—reported slowdowns and sourcing complications, signaling an era of Chinese weaponization of materials. While the civilian economy may appear resilient to substitution; the defense sector is not.
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/minerals-magnets-and-military-capability-chinas-rare-earth-weaponization-should-be-a-wake-up-call/
