Pentagon faces crippling rare earth shortage as | Political News

Donald Trump’s go to to China fell short of attaining progress on a essential facet of the US-China commerce dispute — Beijing’s export restrictions on rare earth supplies important to America’s protection sector.

Despite expectations that the assembly with Chinese President Xi Jinping may cut back friction, no deal was reached to ease restrictions on rare-earth minerals and magnets.

Chinese scholar Zhang Weiwei has indicated that Beijing is prepared to impose even stricter controls — particularly concentrating on the U.S. navy.

He said: “China has adopted this already on the proper management of rare earth materials. Since last year, China has exercised stricter control over the export of rare earth to the United States,” reviews Express UK.

“It had to do with trade war and tech war. And China said: no rare earths for the U.S. military and its establishments. China now can exercise stricter control.” It comes as Russian chief Vladimir Putin is set to go to Xi just days after the 2-day summit.

These feedback have raised considerations, with geopolitical commentator Furkan Gözükara asserting: “The Pentagon is in absolute panic.”

He added, “Prof. Zhang Weiwei confirms China has officially cut off all rare earth exports to the U.S. military.

“He exposes how Washington’s disastrous tech warfare utterly backfired, leaving their weapons manufacturing severely crippled.”

Rare earth elements are critical for sophisticated US defense systems, including semiconductors, fighter aircraft, submarines, missiles, radar technology and precision-guided munitions. A recent Pentagon briefing emphasized that obtaining rare earth elements has become a “national security crucial,” underscoring mounting anxieties about America’s dependency on supply chains dominated by China.

The Pentagon report reveals that China maintains control over the vast majority of global rare-earth processing capabilities, posing a significant strategic weakness for U.S. defense manufacturing.

Already, the Pentagon has invested hundreds of millions in domestic extraction and processing initiatives to lessen reliance on Beijing.

A defense official acknowledged that the U.S. can no longer sustain such heavy dependence on foreign sources.

“Rebuilding the vital minerals and rare earth magnet sectors of the US industrial base will not occur in a single day,” the official said.

Trump’s China visit had been seen as a possible opportunity to defuse tensions over critical mineral exports, following months of disruption from reciprocal trade actions by both nations.

Yet, no substantial agreement materialized from the visit.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer admitted this week that China was still “dragging its ft” over export approvals despite previous agreements intended to restore supply flows.

“We’ve definitely seen the rare earths come back up to better ranges. Sometimes it is slow,” Greer said.

“There are occasions when we now have to go and make our level.” The ongoing restrictions have already triggered shortages across segments of the U.S. aerospace and semiconductor sectors, with certain essential materials remaining in short supply despite months of discussions.

Experts recommend the deadlock illustrates how China’s dominance over vital minerals has emerged as one of Beijing’s most potent instruments in the broader financial confrontation with Washington.