U.S. dependence on China's rare earth: Trade war vulnerability
By: Simon Webb, Lisa Shumaker and Jonathan Oati
Link to article referenced: https://reut.rs/2JgPkd3
The points brought up in the article are valid from both the economic and strategic viewpoints. For those with the capacity and with the focus of the government to develop the indigenous rare earth industry, investment into the development of processing capabilities and mining domestically could not only potentially prove to be economically beneficial, but also help position the U.S. in a stronger, more independent position. This would eliminate any potential diplomatic leverage our competitors would have.