Meanwhile, the United States is seeking to secure its rare-earth mineral supply chains and reduce its reliance on China. Brazil has the world's second-largest reserves of rare earths and has become strategically important for the United States.

The leaders are also expected to discuss extending the current trade-war truce, which has allowed rare-earth minerals to continue flowing from China to the United States.

A crucial component in battery production is rare-earth minerals, and China leads the globe, accounting for 85 percent to 90 percent of rare-earth element refining, as well as processing 68 percent of the world’s cobalt, 65 percent of nickel, and 60 percent

Australian rare earths developer Viridis Mining and Minerals is in advanced discussions with potential buyers in the United States and Europe for output from its Colossus project in Brazil, the company’s chief executive said on May 27.

Rare earths are essential minerals used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, defense equipment, and electronics. China produces and refines the vast majority of the world’s supply, raising concerns in Washington about supply chain risks.

China alone produced 270,000 tons of rare earth minerals in 2024, a 5.9 percent increase from 255,000 tons in 2023.

In terms of China’s stranglehold on rare-earth minerals, a once sleepy United States is planning its own huge new mines in mad dash fashion everywhere from Greenland to California, Utah, and Wyoming.

India and the United States, according to a May 26 press release from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, separately signed a framework agreement on securing supplies of critical minerals and rare earths.

Europe should create its own clear pricing mechanisms for rare earths and other critical minerals to reduce dependence on China and encourage investment in local sources, according to the head of EIT RawMaterials.

USA Rare Earth is considering building a magnet plant in France, its CEO said on April 9, following a deal to take a 12.5 percent stake in local rare-earth processor Carester.

Samples of rare earth minerals from left: Cerium oxide, Bastnaesite, Neodymium oxide, and Lanthanum carbonate at Molycorp's Mountain Pass Rare Earth facility in Mountain Pass, Calif., on June 29, 2015.

Ramaco is also advancing a major pivot into rare earth elements and critical minerals at its Brook Mine in Wyoming. It plans to reorganize into separate divisions for met coal and critical minerals under a holding company structure.

China has agreed to address concerns over shortages of rare earths and other critical minerals that stemmed from export controls imposed in retaliation to U.S. tariffs, the White House said on May 17.

Under its accelerated mining plan, USA Rare Earth said it expects that by 2030, "it will extract from Round Top approximately 40,000 metric tons per day of rare earth and critical mineral feedstock."

Pierre Gratton, head of the Mining Association of Canada, also said a state-backed investor could be useful when it comes to rare-earth minerals, given that China controls a large share of the global market and can move prices enough to damage small producers

When asked about the island's rare earths and other minerals in light of American interests, he said: “Mining or energy development could bring great economic opportunity to Greenland.

-based Tronox Holdings' rare earths refinery project.

Gareth Hatch, who founded Toronto-based processor Innovation Metals Corp. in 2011, said mining rare earth minerals has many challenges.

Samples of rare earth minerals from left: Cerium oxide, Bastnaesite, Neodymium oxide, and Lanthanum carbonate at Molycorp's Mountain Pass Rare Earth facility in Mountain Pass, Calif., on June 29, 2015.

The G7 has already begun pushing for the “de-Sinicization” of rare earth supply chains, with Australia and the United States starting to rebuild rare earth processing capabilities, promoting the recycling of electronic waste, and developing rare-earth-free

Rare earths are minerals critical for modern technologies, including electric vehicles, wind turbines, semiconductors, and defense systems.

Xi also agreed to pause export controls and licensing rules on rare-earths and critical minerals, keeping these supplies available for the U.S. and global markets.

But once the crisis passed, China flooded the market with rare earths, tanking prices and bankrupting another miner, U.S.-based Molycorp, in 2015. Lynas survived thanks to its Japanese backing, but its troubles did not end there.

USA Rare Earth expects to begin commercial mining operations at its Round Top rare-earth minerals mine in Hudspeth County, Texas, by 2028.

Topping the agenda were the Iran war, China, and rare earth minerals. We have the key takeaways.

President Donald Trump also launched a $12 billion initiative to create a mineral stockpile to counter China's dominance in the sector. The Department of War is building a rare earth supply chain.

Beijing also responded to U.S. concerns about supplies of rare earths and other critical minerals, including yttrium, scandium, neodymium, and indium. Beijing's own readout was notably thinner.

the markets and manipulate prices of rare-earth minerals.

Rare-Earth Exports Rare-earth shipments have been one of the thornier issues between the two countries.

Rare-earth elements are critical materials in modern technology, primarily used for high-strength magnets, catalysts, electronics, and other products. “Rare earths and related minerals are not unique to China.