Ditching Chinese Rare Earths Is Hard. Just Ask Japan.
A cautionary tale for Washington’s diversification push.
Ditching Chinese rare earths proves difficult, particularly for Japan, which has recently experienced Beijing's supply chain retaliation once again. The issue is now urgent as the U.S.-China trade truce is set to expire this fall. Once considered a model in diversification, Japan now finds itself reeling from Beijing's latest moves.
In 2010, China halted rare-earth exports to Japan over a dispute, prompting Tokyo to invest heavily in building stockpiles, inventories, and partnerships aimed at reducing its reliance on Chinese sources. Despite these efforts, Japan still imports roughly 58% of its rare earth metals from China, according to a recent CSIS report.
However, Beijing is once again tightening its grip by limiting the export of heavy rare earths, leaving Japanese firms struggling to secure supplies. Experts caution that while Japan has made progress in diversifying its supply chain, it remains highly vulnerable to Beijing's influence.
Written by urgent.news from Foreign Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
