By Douglas V. Gibbs
We hear about rare earth minerals often. We need them for high-tech stuff. Our lives require rare earth minerals in our smartphones, laptops, batteries, renewable energy equipment, defense systems, medical technology and LED lighting. The demand is growing, and many challenges accompany the extraction of these materials. China dominates global production, and they have responded to President Trump’s tariffs by cutting off their supply to us. President Trump has suggested that we don’t need China’s rare earth minerals, and that is why deals with Ukraine and Greenland have been worked on.
The leftist media, typically critical of anything and everything associated with President Trump’s decisions, are crying foul about how Trump is dooming America by cutting us off from our dependency upon Chinese materials while also stating that we will not get what we need from Greenland and Ukraine and that it is authoritarian of him to even consider finding ways to exploit those relationships in such a way.
What they won’t tell you is that those are not the only places on this planet with rare earth minerals. The United States also has rare earth minerals. While China may dominate global production, the U.S. has deposits of rare earth elements in places like Mountain Pass, California, which is home to one of the largest rare earth mines in the country. The U.S. Geological Survey has also identified multiple rare earth deposits across the country in Alaska, Wyoming, Texas, and Montana.
While mining and refining rare earths is complex and costly, that does not mean we cannot produce these materials ourselves rather than rely heavily on imports, particularly from China. I believe that is the ace up President Trump’s sleeve. He is working on boosting domestic production and reducing dependence on foreign sources while also maneuvering to adjust our imports regarding those materials. We are cutting off China and they think it is the other way around – a brilliant move considering the strategic importance of rare earths in defense, electronics, and high-tech equipment.
— Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
