China’s Rare Earth Monopoly: West’s Mineral Drama Queens Beware
Goldman Sachs just handed the West a decade-long timeout for trying to break China's 92% refining and 98% magnet production chokehold on rare earth minerals—the real-life superglue of modern tech and defense. Daan Struyven dropped this bomb on Tuesday, as Trump jet-setted across Asia sealing rare-earth cuddle deals with Japan and Southeast Asia, desperately trying to DIY a supply chain. Meanwhile, Beijing's stirring the pot with export restrictions targeting November 8, right before the 90-day US-China trade ceasefire evaporates. Building a mine takes 10 years, a refinery 5—so sorry, eyes on 2034. Rare earths might not be copper’s size, but they pack enough punch to make tech wars a real metal mess.
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Breaking: The West thinks it can break China's 98% grip on sexy high-tech magnets within a decade. Plot twist: You need 10 years to dig and 5 to refine, so get comfy with dependence. Patience is a virtue, or so says global mineral monopoly math.
China controls rare earths like that kid who monopolized all the Legos in kindergarten and still won't share, leaving the rest of the class to eat dust for ten years while they build their techno-castle.
Trying to unhook from China’s rare earth stranglehold? Just remember, it takes longer to open a mine than Netflix’s last reboot saga. Spoiler: The West’s supply chain is a decade-long cliffhanger.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 10/29/2025 | Author: Huileng Tan
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