The US Department of Defense has signed a $120mn deal with Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths to build one of the first onshore heavy rare earths separation facilities, part of Washington’s push to counter China’s dominance of critical mineral supply chains.
Rare earth elements are vital to making magnets used in military equipment such as lasers and guidance systems, as well as components in electric vehicles, wind turbines, fibre optic cables and consumer electronics.
China is responsible for almost 90 per cent of global refining of rare earths and more than 50 per cent of rare earths mining, according to the International Energy Agency.
您已阅读17%（640字），剩余83%（3149字）包含更多重要信息，订阅以继续探索完整内容，并享受更多专属服务。