Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the ongoing issues surrounding rare earth exports from China to the United States, highlighting the illegal smuggling activities and the measures taken by the Chinese government to combat these actions. Group 1: Smuggling Activities - Since December last year, nearly 4,000 tons of rare earths have been secretly transported to the U.S., despite a ban on exports for national security reasons [1] - U.S. media reported in July that American companies continued to thrive and utilize rare earths without significant impact from China's export controls [5] - Data from the U.S. Department of Commerce revealed a 270% increase in imports of antimony oxide from Thailand, raising suspicions about the legitimacy of these imports [7] - Chinese customs records indicated that shipments labeled as "zinc alloy" were actually disguised rare earths, with one ton containing 300 kg of high-purity antimony [9] - In Mexico, a loophole allowed the mixing of Chinese rare earths with local iron ore, facilitating exports to the U.S. under the guise of mixed metal ores [11][12] Group 2: Government Response - China has implemented advanced detection methods at border checkpoints, including 32,000 sensors capable of identifying rare earth elements with high precision [16] - The efficiency of detecting smuggling cases has increased to 98% with the use of these sensors [18] - A new Mineral Resources Law was enacted in July, imposing severe penalties for smuggling strategic resources, including potential life sentences for significant offenses [20][22] - The article emphasizes that despite trade agreements with the U.S., the rare earth conflict remains unresolved, as these resources are crucial for China's military and high-tech sectors [24][25]