Trump may talk much about the US becoming self-sufficient, but his big words cannot trump reality.
The US’ efforts to pursue renewable energy and advanced technologies require large amounts of refined metals and rare earth elements that the country can mine but does not want to refine domestically.
The refining process requires large amounts of energy and water, and generates a lot of hazardous waste, which make the US reluctant to host such facilities on its soil
China’s ability to deal with the environmental impact of rare earth refining made the country a global leader in that area, with Chinese industries processing about 85% of the world’s rare earth oxides.
Another factor that makes China’s refining industry so attractive is the country’s large pool of skilled specialists whose labor costs less than that of their US counterparts.
