美国懵了：自家稀土堆成山，为啥偏要抢中国的？70年逆袭内幕曝光

Core Insights - The U.S. is heavily reliant on China for rare earth elements, with 85% of its refined production controlled by China, despite having significant domestic reserves [2][20] - China's dominance in the rare earth market is attributed to technological advancements and strategic industry consolidation over decades [10][14] - The U.S. has struggled to revitalize its rare earth production due to high costs and regulatory challenges, leading to a significant dependency on Chinese processing capabilities [6][18] Group 1: U.S. Rare Earth Production Challenges - The U.S. produced only 43,000 tons of rare earths in the previous year, ranking second globally, but still relies on China for 85% of its processing [2][18] - The Mountain Pass mine, once a leading producer, has faced operational delays and is not expected to be fully operational until late 2024 [6][18] - The U.S. has invested heavily in reviving its rare earth industry, but technological barriers remain high, with 95% of heavy rare earth separation still occurring in China [20] Group 2: China's Strategic Position - China holds nearly 50% of the world's rare earth reserves, with a production forecast of 270,000 tons in 2024, accounting for 69.2% of global output [8][18] - The development of advanced extraction techniques, such as the cascade extraction method, has allowed China to dominate the market with lower costs and higher purity [10][12] - China's rare earth industry has evolved from exporting raw materials to controlling the entire supply chain, including mining, refining, and recycling [16][22] Group 3: Historical Context and Market Dynamics - Historically, China struggled with low profits from rare earth exports, often selling raw materials at low prices while relying on foreign processing [4][14] - The U.S. once dominated the rare earth market in the 1950s but lost its competitive edge due to environmental regulations and rising operational costs [6][20] - The consolidation of China's rare earth industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the establishment of export quotas, has solidified its market leadership [14][16]