A flurry of announcements this week is reshaping efforts by the United States and the European Union to loosen China's grip on rare earth minerals, the building blocks of next-generation technology. US President Donald Trump on Monday unveiled Project Vault, a plan to build a US strategic stockpile of critical minerals, expand domestic rare-earth processing capacity and secure long‑term supply deals with manufacturers.
In another development, the EU on Tuesday set out plans for a rare-earth alliance with US to bolster its own resilience. Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance gave a keynote speech to delegates from key mineral‑producing countries on Wednesday, seeking to secure a rare-earth trading bloc to challenge China.
Rare earths and other critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and copper are essential for electric vehicles, robotics, artificial intelligence, defense and renewable energy.
