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Patrick Boyle · Yesterday · 31 min

China’s Rare Earth Chokehold!

👉🏻 To try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days, visit https://brilliant.org/patrick/. You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription. In this video, we explore how China’s dominance in rare earth elements has become a powerful geopolitical tool—and why the United States is struggling to catch up. From the Mountain Pass mine in California to Apple’s $500 million recycling push, we unpack the strategic importance of rare earths in everything from electric vehicles and smartphones to fiber optics and missile systems. We also look at the recent Trump–Xi summit, the temporary truce on export controls, and the deeper tensions that remain unresolved. Why are rare earths so hard to substitute? How does China’s export licensing regime work? And what happens if the U.S. gets cut off? 🔍 Topics covered: Rare earths in global supply chains China’s export controls and licensing strategy U.S. efforts to rebuild domestic production Military vs civilian demand for rare earths Recycling, substitution, and strategic stockpiling Patrick's Books: Statistics For The Trading Floor: https://amzn.to/3eerLA0 Derivatives For The Trading Floor: https://amzn.to/3cjsyPF Corporate Finance: https://amzn.to/3fn3rvC Ways To Support The Channel Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PatrickBoyleOnFinance Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/patrickboyle Visit our website: https://www.onfinance.org Follow Patrick on Twitter Here: https://bsky.app/profile/pboyle.bsky.social Business Inquiries ➡️ sponsors@onfinance.org Patrick Boyle On Finance Podcast: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7uhrWlDvxzy9hLoW0EYf0b Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patrick-boyle-on-finance/id1547740313 Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/62862nve Join this channel to support making this content: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCASM0cgfkJxQ1ICmRilfHLw/join Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

0:00-31:51

transcript

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show notes

👉🏻 To try everything Brilliant has to offer for free for a full 30 days, visit https://brilliant.org/patrick/. You’ll also get 20% off an annual premium subscription.

In this video, we explore how China’s dominance in rare earth elements has become a powerful geopolitical tool—and why the United States is struggling to catch up. From the Mountain Pass mine in California to Apple’s $500 million recycling push, we unpack the strategic importance of rare earths in everything from electric vehicles and smartphones to fiber optics and missile systems.
We also look at the recent Trump–Xi summit, the temporary truce on export controls, and the deeper tensions that remain unresolved. Why are rare earths so hard to substitute? How does China’s export licensing regime work? And what happens if the U.S. gets cut off?

🔍 Topics covered:

Rare earths in global supply chains
China’s export controls and licensing strategy
U.S. efforts to rebuild domestic production
Military vs civilian demand for rare earths
Recycling, substitution, and strategic stockpiling

Patrick's Books:
Statistics For The Trading Floor: https://amzn.to/3eerLA0
Derivatives For The Trading Floor: https://amzn.to/3cjsyPF
Corporate Finance: https://amzn.to/3fn3rvC

Ways To Support The Channel
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PatrickBoyleOnFinance
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/patrickboyle

Visit our website: https://www.onfinance.org
Follow Patrick on Twitter Here: https://bsky.app/profile/pboyle.bsky.social

Business Inquiries ➡️ sponsors@onfinance.org

Patrick Boyle On Finance Podcast:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7uhrWlDvxzy9hLoW0EYf0b
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/patrick-boyle-on-finance/id1547740313
Google Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/62862nve

Join this channel to support making this content:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCASM0cgfkJxQ1ICmRilfHLw/join

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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