China controls approximately 97 percent of global production of rare earth minerals. In response, China could ban the export of rare earth elements to all countries that have banned Huawei. Mined rare earth minerals are usually sent to China for final processing. China concentrated some 5,000 of its best engineers and scientist just to perfect the method of safely separating the rare earth oxides from the mined rare earth minerals. China’s ban of rare earth exports to the US can throw US society back into the Dark Ages.

Source: Manila Times May 22, 2019 17:03 UTC