r/worldnews • u/Significant-Colour • 1d ago

China strikes back at Trump with 34 percent tariff — bans rare earth exports to the U.S.

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/china-strikes-back-on-trump-tariffs-bans-rare-earth-exports-to-the-u-s
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u/apoplepticdoughnut 1d ago

Yup. They don't just control their own mines, they have contracted mining rights in Australia and nigh exclusive access to rare earths in many African countries. US isn't ready to pick this fight.

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u/kingtacticool 1d ago

They also control something like 80% of the global refining capability.

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u/apoplepticdoughnut 1d ago

Uh huh. Add exclusive access to Iranian oil (the thing that allowed Britain to fight WW1 & WW2) and capital to buy Russian assets as the Kremlin crumbles itself over Ukraine and... congratulations Vladimir Donald, you've just made China the No. 1 superpower.

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u/walubilous 1d ago

And they can't build those capabilties up for themselves, because they started trade wards with the countries selling the equipment and machinery required to do so.

So even "owning" Greenland wouldn't fix that for them. :)

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u/Ashamed_Distance_144 1d ago

Oh you mean the administration didn’t do any research or homework as usual??

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u/AsherGray 22h ago

Why do you think they're threatening to take Greenland?