Tag: Critical Minerals

  • Scarcity Pays

    China shipped fewer rare earths in the first half of 2026 but earned dramatically more for them, and customs figures reported Monday reveal how Beijing’s licensing wall, backed by a new enforcement campaign, is converting geology into leverage over Europe, Japan and the wider world. BEIJING, July 20, 2026. China is selling fewer rare earths…

  • License to Wait

    Five days before a 50th anniversary summit in Beijing, the European Union’s campaign to unblock China’s rare earth export licensing backlog has become the defining test of a trade relationship strained by a record deficit and a month of tit-for-tat measures. BRUSSELS, July 19: When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council…