What are rare-earth elements?

What they are

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) describes the rare earths as a group of 17 elements: scandium, yttrium and the lanthanides. The lanthanides are the 15 elements from lanthanum (atomic number 57) to lutetium (71). The name can mislead. USGS calls the group relatively abundant, with cerium at about 60 parts per million of the Earth's crust. Deposits concentrated enough to mine are less common.

Magnets are the leading use worldwide and catalysts the leading use in the United States, USGS estimates. Other uses include batteries, ceramics and glass, alloys and polishing. Rare-earth permanent magnets go into cars, wind turbines, industrial motors, data centers and defense systems, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Why it matters

Supply is concentrated in China. In a February 2026 report, USGS estimates that China mined 270,000 of the roughly 390,000 metric tons produced worldwide in 2025, measured as rare-earth oxide. It puts China's reserves at 44 million tons. The United States mined an estimated 51,000 tons. Processing is more concentrated. For the rare earths used in magnets, the IEA, writing in October 2025, put China's share of separation and refining at about 91 percent. It put China's share of sintered permanent magnet production at 94 percent.

China tightened its export controls in 2025. According to USGS, it added controls on seven rare earths in April, including dysprosium, terbium and yttrium, and on five more in October. After the April controls, the IEA says, some carmakers cut production or temporarily shut factories.

Where things stand in 2026

China suspended the October controls for one year in November 2025, USGS reports. The April controls stayed in force, though China began issuing general export licenses to selected exporters.

The U.S.-China trade truce was due to end on November 10. On September 23, 2026, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said it would be extended to January 10, 2027, NBC News reported. Al Jazeera reported the next day that this delays China's rare-earth export restrictions until that date. A White House fact sheet dated September 25 does not mention the controls. It says the two governments are still working on U.S. concerns about rare-earth and critical-mineral shortages. U.S. officials had said the week before that Chinese rare-earth deliveries were lagging, Reuters reported.

USGS estimates U.S. production of rare-earth compounds and metals at 8,900 tons in 2025, up from 4,300 tons in 2024.