Skip to content

Subscriber Only

U.S. Drones Scouring for Rare Earths to End Reliance on China

U.S. is 100% dependent on imports of rare earths, USGS says
Production climbed 44% to 26,000 metric tons last year

Bloomberg business news — May, 2019: China Is Ready to Weaponize Rare Earths

By

Luzi-Ann Javier and

Justina Vasquez

February 7, 2020, 6:29 PM UTCUpdated onFebruary 9, 2020, 11:00 PM UTC

Terms of Trade is a daily newsletter that untangles a world threatened by trade wars. Sign up here.

The U.S. is deploying drones and other technology as it scours for potential rare-earths reserves at home and abroad to wean the nation off its dependence on Chinese imports.