Rare earth metals

Tokyo provides a good model for developing supply chain resilience for critical inputs

Efforts to spur critical minerals development and processing come before Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Washington in September  

The country has drawn significant interest from foreign miners and refiners

The move is the latest effort by the Trump administration to shore up supplies of critical minerals

Rare earths are prioritised for domestic use under a regulation issued last year

Customs data show shipments stabilising in 2026, but still well below levels seen before curbs were introduced

CuspAI aims to reduce chipmaking’s use of rare metals with supply chain risks

The country has been a major investor in overseas resources since the early 2000s

The projects would see technology transfers from the rare earths specialist to local miner Malaco