America gave up its rare earth edge. China took full advantage.
Summary
The article explains how the US lost its edge in rare earth processing and how China leveraged its dominance through export controls. It provides historical context (Mountain Pass), current policy moves and funding to rebuild domestic capacity, and outlines three potential paths forward: relying on China, rebuilding domestically, or forming allied supply chains. The piece highlights implications for tech manufacturing and national security, with real-world examples like auto manufacturing and magnet production.