rare-earth-metals

China holds about 44 million tonnes of rare earth reserves and mined roughly 270,000 tonnes in 2025, about 69% of the world total. Here is how the reserve and production rankings differ, and why refining matters more than either.

Neodymium, dysprosium, cobalt, lithium — these obscure elements power every EV, wind turbine, and smartphone on the planet. But their supply chain is dangerously concentrated, environmentally destructive, and increasingly weaponized.