Post #44078 by g0177325 on the US Policy board

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Who knew that massive tariffs against China might backfire so horribly? Doesn't Trump and the GOP want to up defense spending to 1 trillion dollars?

https://www.newsweek.com/china-xi-trump-rare-earth...

Why China's Rare Earth Curbs Could Devastate US Defense Industry

President Donald Trump knows his hike in tariffs for China's goods to 145 percent will up the ante in a trade war, but Beijing also holds a strong hand with its control of the materials critical for the United States defense industry.

China first responded on April 3 to Trump's initial salvo of 54 percent levies on its exports by placing export restrictions on rare earth elements, which are key for the fighter aircraft that will form the backbone of the U.S. Air Force's next-generation fleet.

Following a deal with Boeing, Trump has touted the F-47 as the successor to the F-22 Raptor. But the viability of the U.S. Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program depends heavily on the materials China produces.

They include seven categories of medium and heavy rare earths, including samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium and yttrium.

"They are definitely arrows in their quiver of how China can respond to these ever increasing tariffs," said Tom Brady, professor of practice at the Colorado School of Mines.

"Dysprosium is critical for use in high temperature magnets," he told Newsweek. "Jet engines and things like that need high temperature magnets that keep that magnetic quality at very high temperatures."

Yttrium is required for high-temperature jet engine coatings, high-frequency radar systems and precision lasers. It also allows thermal barrier coatings on turbine blades to stop aircraft engines from melting mid-flight.

China's Export Controls

These minerals are needed for high-performance magnets and actuators. Metals like titanium, tungsten, and niobium are also essential for structural strength, heat resistance, and stealth coatings.

"China's export controls on key medium and heavy rare earth elements pose significant risks to US national security, defense manufacturing, and high-tech industries," said Jamie Underwood from the SFA-Oxford consultancy in a press release on April 5.
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