美企想“挑战”中国，输了让出稀土主导权！不料中方出手，一招制敌

Group 1 - China holds an undisputed dominant position in the global critical minerals sector, prompting the U.S. to focus on Oklahoma to challenge this dominance [1] - Oklahoma is becoming a hub for critical minerals, with the only nickel refinery in the U.S. and the largest lithium refinery under construction [3] - Companies like MLB Industrial and Westwin Elements are expanding operations in Oklahoma, with Westwin aiming to refine 200 tons of nickel annually, potentially meeting 10% of U.S. nickel demand [5] Group 2 - The U.S. Department of Defense is negotiating nickel supply agreements with Westwin, which will be used for military drone batteries [5] - Stardust Power plans to build a lithium refinery in Oklahoma, targeting an annual production of 50,000 tons, which would account for about 20% of U.S. projected lithium demand by 2030 [5] - A new rare earth magnet production facility is expected to begin operations in early 2024, with an initial annual output of 1,200 tons, sufficient for over 400,000 electric vehicles [5] Group 3 - Despite the optimism, challenges remain for U.S. companies in Oklahoma, including a weak education system and difficulties in attracting skilled talent [6] - The U.S. faces significant obstacles in establishing a domestic critical minerals supply chain, including a lack of commercially viable natural reserves and a shortage of skilled engineers [6] - The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) indicates that even with planned facilities, U.S. production will be far below China's, potentially less than 1% of China's 2018 output [6] Group 4 - In response to U.S. efforts, China's Ministry of Commerce is accelerating the review of export license applications for rare earths, which could impact the global rare earth market [8][9] - China is open to dialogue with other countries regarding export controls, which may influence the competitive landscape for critical minerals [9]