The Wall Street Journal has a piece tracing just how China secured such a tight grasp on the world's rare-earth markets, and why it's so hard for other countries to counter. The piece looks at its efforts since the early 1990s to build a minerals empire, which has left it holding control over supply chains for cars, advanced energy technologies and defense systems.
The New York Times looks at how Australia could be an alternative source of rare earths, as the US looks to diversify away from China. It will certainly be a topic of discussion as Australia's Prine minister sits down with President Trump later today.
And a wide range of outlets are looking at the Trump administration's equity stake in mining companies – particularly Canadian mining companies, raising questions about whether Canada plans similar moves. Thus far, the Canadian government is reportedly unbothered by the U.S. government strategy, and while Prime Minister Mark Carney has opened a Major Projects Office to fast-track energy and mining projects, he has not yet suggested his government will follow the U.S. lead in taking stakes in projects.
