The Californian Rare Earths Mine Caught Between Trump and China

  • Mountain Pass venture to be hit with initial 10% Chinese levy
  • Discussions been held with U.S. officials, JHL Capital Says
Mountain Pass rare earths mine.Photographer: Jacob Kepler/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

The only operating rare earths mine in the U.S. - and once the world’s biggest -- is caught up in the crossfire of the Trump administration’s trade war with China.

Rare earths, an esoteric group of materials used in everything from Tesla Inc. automobiles to high-tech military equipment, were dropped this week from the U.S.’s final $200 billion catalog of tariffs on Chinese goods, but China didn’t reciprocate on its own hit list.Bloomberg Terminal