The US government has ambitions to scale up mining | FT #shorts

In the midst of the US-China trade conflict last year, Beijing unleashed its fiercest weapon. By ramping up restrictions on exports of rare earth metals – crucial elements for high-tech manufacturing – China forced the US to climb down.

That show of strength was a wake-up call for the US. It has since spent huge sums backing mining companies, struck eye-catching deals and moved to collaborate with allies.

But after a little more than a year, how much progress has it made in breaking China’s hold on the rare earths supply chain?⁠

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