China, the world’s largest supplier of rare earth minerals, may be restricting the export of such minerals as a response to the ongoing trade war with the United States. According to the Chinese state-run Global Times, "China is seriously considering restricting rare earth exports to the US." Estimates indicate that over 70% of the global output is produced from Chinese mines, providing China with considerable leverage in this industry. Rare earth minerals are critical to the development of the latest high-tech products ranging from smart phones to fighter jets.
