By Admin 
From your watch to Agni-6 missile… 95% of the essential rare earth minerals (REE) used in it are produced only by China. That means, if China stops giving REE, then neither the clock will run, nor the electric vehicle will run, nor will there be electricity, nor will American F-35 fighter jets be made. China has the highest number of REE in the world and India is at third place. Experts predict that by 2035, REEs will become so important that without them it will be impossible for any country to become a super power.
So let us understand in ABP Explainer what are Rare Earth Minerals, how China captured the minerals of the whole world and why no country can become a super power without them…
Question 1- What and how are rare earth minerals?
answer- Rare Earth Minerals (REE) are 17 special metals, which look like ordinary soil, but they are the lifeblood of today’s high-tech world. These are called ‘rare’ because they are found everywhere on earth, but it is very difficult and expensive to extract them in pure form. Only 1-2 grams of pure REE comes out from one ton of soil. By 2030, the world needs 140 million EVs, for which 4.9 lakh tonnes of REE will be required every year. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) report, these metals are the backbone of all technologies including green energy, defense and AI.
1. Holmium: This is the most powerful magnetic element in the world. It is used in laser devices, nuclear reactors and high-tech magnets.
2. Erbium: It gives off a pink glow, which is used in internet networks, medical lasers and colored glasses.
3. Thulium: It is the rarest mineral after lutetium, which is used in X-ray machines, laser surgery and mobile laser devices.
4. Europium: It produces bright red and blue light. It is used in LED screens, TV displays and currency notes.
5. Ytterbium: It evaporates very quickly. It is used in steel, quantum computing research and medical imaging.
6. Samarium: Magnets made from it do not lose their strength at high temperatures, due to which it is used in making headphones and nuclear weapons.
7. Gadolinium: It absorbs magnetic neutrons, due to which it is used for MRI machines, nuclear reactors and radar systems.
8. Terbium: Produces green light in TV-phones. LED screens, lighting, sensors and high temperature magnets are made from it.
9. Dysprosium: Produces white-yellow light and does not lose power in high temperatures. It is used in making nuclear reactors, hard disk drives and generators.
10. Lutetium: It is the heaviest and strongest among the 17 rare minerals. It is used in petroleum refineries, memory devices and killing cancer cells.
11. Scandium: It is the most special and very light among the 17 rare minerals. It is used in making rocket-helicopter frames, baseball bats and LEDs.
12. Yttrium: It is the most abundant rare mineral on Earth, from which radar systems, superconductors and camera lenses are made.
13. Cerium: Helps in oxidation in chemical reactions. It is used in glass polishing and electronics.
14. Lanthanum: Hydrogen is good at absorption, which makes superconductors and nuclear reactors.
15. Promethium: It radiates, hence is useful as a source of energy, which is used in nuclear research and thermoelectric generators.
16. Niobium: It has high superconductivity, due to which it is used in superconductors, aerospace and jet engines.
17. Tantalum: It does not rust and is not affected by acid. It is used in electronic, medical and aerospace.
Question 2- Which country has the highest number of REE in the world?
answer- China has all the 17 REEs in the world, but most of them are light REE (Nd, Pr, Ce) and heavy REE (Dy, Tb). The world’s largest mine is also in China, which was discovered in 1927. It has more than 57 million tonnes of REE reserves. According to USGS, China controls 70% of the world’s REE reserves and 95% of production. after this-
- Brazil has 21 million tons of REE.
- India is in third place, with 6.9 million tonnes of REE.
- Australia has 5.7 million tonnes of REE.
- Russia has 3.8 million tons of REE and Vietnam has 3.5 tons of REE.
- The US has 1.9 million tonnes of REE and Greenland has 1.5 million tonnes of REE.
Question 3- How did China capture 70% of the world’s REE reserves and 95% production?
answer- This is not a coincidence, but it was China’s 40 year old plan…
- 1980: China subsidized REE, relaxed environmental regulations and gave export tax rebates. China deliberately dropped REE prices by 70% so that countries including the US, Australia and India would stop REE mining. All the countries thought that when they can be imported at cheaper prices, then why spend more money doing mining.
- 1986-1992: Made Baotou ‘Rare Earth Capital’.
- 1990: Declared REE as a ‘strategic resource’ and banned foreign investment.
- 1999: America’s Mountain Pass Mine closed. The same situation happened in Australia and India also.
- 2010: Due to dispute with Japan, exports were stopped for 2 months, due to which REE prices increased by 500%.
- 2023: Tech export banned on NdPr, DyTb.
- 2024: Banned 7 heavy REE (Samarium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Lutetium, Scandium and Yttrium). It was made mandatory for companies exporting these elements to obtain a special export license, due to which the supply of REE was disrupted across the world.
- 2025: 5 and REE (Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Europium and Yttrium) were banned. Due to this, 12 minerals came under the control of China. Before using them, it became necessary to obtain export license from China.
China forced the rest of the world out of the market by lowering prices and then made everyone bow down by banning essential minerals. Today, China produces 270,000 tons of REE in 2025.
Question 4- Why does a country need REE to become a super power?
answer- A country needs REE to become a superpower because in the next 25 years, all the power in the world will be powered by this. Apart from this, in 2035, super power will be identified with weapons. The country which makes the most dangerous weapon will be called a super power. All dangerous weapons cannot be made without REE. For example, 417 kg of neodymium is required to make F-35 fighter jet, if China stops it then America’s Air Force will be destroyed in 18 months. India’s Agni-6 missile requires 9 kg of samarium-cobalt magnets. If China does not give, the 8,000 km range missile will remain on paper. An American submarine requires 4,200 kg of REE, if China did not supply it, not a single new submarine would be built. That means the country which controls REE will be called a super power.
REE is used extensively in our everyday life also. Imagine that one morning you wake up, your watch will not ring due to lack of REE, because there is 0.3 gram neodymium magnet in that small vibration motor. Your electric scooter will not start, because its motor contains 3 kg REE magnet. Lights will not be on in your house and schools because the wind turbine will not run, which requires 4 tons of REE magnets. Internet will not work on your phone, because 6G tower requires Yttrium. Even AI will not be able to work without China, because one AI data center requires 20 tons of REE (cooling and magnetic storage).
Question 5- What will India have to do to become a superpower by 2047?
answer- For India to become a superpower by 2047, complete control over REE is necessary. Today we import 95% of REE from China, but we have the third largest reserve in the world. According to the USGS 2025 report, our production is only 2,900 tonnes every year, which is not even 1% of China’s 270,000 tonnes.
According to experts, if we want to become the world leader in EV, defense and green energy by 2047, then in the next 22 years we will have to create the entire supply chain like China ourselves.
- The short-term target for 2030 is to increase production 10 times.
- IREL’s Odisha plant will have to be doubled to increase NdPr production to 450 tonnes by 2026 and 900 tonnes by 2030.
- GSI will have to explore 1,200 blocks by 2030-31. 195 are already running.
- The capacity of REPM plant in Visakhapatnam will be 3,000 kg per annum.