The World Blog by humble servant.

The Real Hook: Why US Tech Can't Quit China's Rare Earth Grip Absolutely, the vulnerability is as real as it gets—US tech behemoths like Apple, Microsoft, and even Palantir (indirectly) are deeply entangled in China's stranglehold on rare earth elements (REEs). China doesn't just mine most of them (around 60% of global output); it processes over 90%, turning raw ores into usable magnets, alloys, and compounds that power everything from iPhone vibrations to Azure server drives. Without these, production halts, costs skyrocket, and innovation stalls. This isn't hype—it's a supply-chain Achilles' heel exposed by the recent export curbs, forcing firms to scramble for alternatives like recycling or US mining deals, but those are years away from scaling. To show how this dependency plays out, let's break it down: REEs are the "secret sauce" in consumer electronics, enabling compact, high-performance features. Globally, the electronics sector guzzles...