美国企业疯了？自费砸钱查走私稀土，把铁证送中国，啥目的？

Core Insights - The article discusses a covert conflict among U.S. rare earth companies in 2025, where companies that received government subsidies engaged in internal sabotage by providing evidence of smuggling operations to Chinese authorities, effectively dismantling a cross-border smuggling network [2][30]. Group 1: Strategic Importance of Rare Earths - Rare earths are referred to as "industrial gold," essential for various technologies from mobile phone chips to military equipment like the F-35 fighter jet and nuclear submarines [2]. - In December 2024, China implemented export controls on rare earths, banning the export of key materials for military use to the U.S. and requiring permits for other exports [4][30]. Group 2: U.S. Market Response - Following China's export ban, the U.S. rare earth market experienced chaos, with prices soaring over 230% [5][7]. - Instead of expanding production to fill the supply gap, U.S. companies opted to hoard materials and raise prices, leading to stagnation in production capacity despite receiving $1.7 billion in government subsidies [7][30]. Group 3: Smuggling Operations - Between December 2024 and April 2025, 3,834 tons of neodymium oxide, suitable for military use, were smuggled into the U.S., surpassing the total legal exports from the previous three years [9]. - Smuggling methods included disguising rare earths as various products, such as embedding them in plastic models or mixing them with paint additives [9][11]. Group 4: Internal Conflict and Reporting - U.S. rare earth companies began to report smuggling activities to Chinese authorities, leveraging their industry connections to gather evidence against competitors [16][30]. - Companies like Alpha Materials reported specific smuggling operations, leading to significant seizures by Chinese customs, which in turn boosted their stock prices and market share [20][30]. Group 5: Regulatory Developments - In June 2025, China introduced advanced tracking systems for rare earths, including electronic tags and stringent penalties for smuggling, which drastically reduced the volume of illegally obtained rare earths in the U.S. by 67% within two months [22][24]. - The U.S. companies, facing a shortage of affordable rare earths, were compelled to seek supplies from domestic producers, reversing their previous strategy of hoarding [24][30]. Group 6: Conclusion of the Conflict - The article concludes that the U.S. companies' internal reporting was driven by self-interest rather than altruism, and it inadvertently strengthened China's regulatory framework, enhancing its control over the rare earth supply chain [30][32]. - The ongoing rare earth conflict is characterized as a complex interplay of industry dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and profit motives, rather than a simple matter of export bans [33].