Sou Hu Cai Jing·2025-07-14 05:48Group 1 - In July 2025, a shocking data revealed that 3,834 tons of Chinese rare earth oxides entered the U.S. through "gray channels" in Thailand and Mexico within five months, nearly matching the total imports of the previous three years [1] - The U.S. automotive industry faced severe disruptions, with Ford's Chicago plant halting production of electric vehicles due to a shortage of key neodymium-iron-boron magnets, resulting in daily losses of up to $22 million [2] - The price of praseodymium-neodymium oxide surged, exceeding 980,000 yuan per ton, leading to a 35% increase in Tesla's battery costs [2] Group 2 - U.S. domestic rare earth refining technology is significantly lagging behind China's, with American companies relying on outdated methods while Chinese firms have advanced to sixth-generation processes with purity levels of 99.9999% at lower costs [4] - Geopolitical tensions are rising as allies like the EU and India seek to negotiate rare earth supplies from China, while internal U.S. conflicts emerge over how to address the supply chain crisis [5] - China has implemented three countermeasures against rare earth smuggling, including a digital tracking system for transactions, a 150% export guarantee deposit for high-risk countries, and targeted actions against companies involved in smuggling [7] Group 3 - Thailand has been implicated in rare earth smuggling, with a company disguising shipments as pet food, leading to a 2,700% increase in exports of antimony products to the U.S. [9] - Mexico's only antimony processing plant was reportedly inactive, yet customs records indicated exports of 468 tons of rare earth oxides, which were actually zinc products repackaged for export [10] - The ongoing battle over rare earth resources is reshaping global industrial dynamics, with China's dominance significantly altering the landscape [12]