(Breitbart)—The deepening shortage of rare-earth magnets is exposing a critical vulnerability in the U.S. supply chain—and highlighting the extent of China’s grip over a resource essential to modern industry.
Automakers across the U.S., Europe, and Asia are warning that vehicle production could grind to a halt within weeks, as Chinese export controls on rare-earth magnets throttle global supplies. According to a detailed report in The Wall Street Journal, manufacturers are scrambling to find workarounds, with some even weighing whether to shift production back to China—the very country they have sought to decouple from.
These tiny but essential components—used in electric vehicle motors, speaker systems, adjustable seats, and even windshield wipers—depend on minerals like dysprosium and terbium. China controls about 90 percent of the global supply, and, as the Journal reports, it also dominates the refinement and magnet production capabilities that turn these minerals into usable parts.
Ford was forced to halt production of its Explorer SUV at its Chicago plant in May due to a rare-earth shortage, the Journal noted. Several European plants have already gone offline. Industry groups representing major automakers and parts suppliers warned the Trump administration last month that further shutdowns are likely unless more rare-earth components can be secured.
- Read More: breitbart.com
