RARE EARTH

Oct 21 2025ENVIRONMENT

Recycling Tech: Turning Old Gadgets into Valuable Resources

In the world of technology, old gadgets often end up as trash, but they hold a secret treasure. Rare earth elements (REEs) found in discarded electronics are in high demand, but extracting them is tough. A group of scientists has found a smarter way to do this. They use electricity to heat up old magnets quickly and chlorine gas to separate the useful parts from the ...

reading time about 1 minute
Oct 21 2025BUSINESS

China's Rare Earth Exports Take a Dip: What's the Big Deal?

China's shipments of rare earth magnets saw a decline in September. This happened before new, stricter export rules were even put in place. The drop was about 6. 1% compared to the previous month. This news comes from official Chinese customs data. So, why is this a big deal? Rare earth magnets are super important. They are used in all sorts of tech and defense syst...

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Oct 20 2025POLITICS

Big Moves and Big Promises: A Week in the World of Tech and Politics

Big tech companies are making big moves. Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are planning to shift most of their new product manufacturing outside of China by 2026. This is a huge deal because it shows how these companies are trying to spread their operations around the world. Microsoft, for example, is moving the production of its Surface laptops and data center servers. ...

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Oct 19 2025BUSINESS

How Trump Could Turn the Tables on China's Trade Moves

China's recent move to restrict rare earth exports has sparked a lot of talk. These minerals are super important for lots of tech stuff, like smartphones and electric cars. China makes most of them, so this move could really shake things up. But it might not be as big a deal as people think. At first, President Trump talked tough, saying he could hit China even hard...

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Aug 19 2025POLITICS

China and India Talk Trade and Borders

China and India are trying to fix their relationship. They had a big fight in 2020. Now, they are talking again. China's foreign minister is in India. He is meeting with India's top security advisor and the prime minister. The talks are about the border between the two countries. Both sides say things are quiet now. They want to keep it that way. They also talked ab...

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Jul 10 2025BUSINESS

US Takes Big Step to Control Rare Earth Metals

The US is stepping up its game in the rare earth metals industry. It's investing heavily in the only operational rare earth mine in the country, located in Mountain Pass, California. This move is a big deal because rare earth metals are super important for modern tech like electric cars and wind turbines. China has been the boss in this industry for a long time, con...

reading time about 1 minute
Jun 27 2025BUSINESS

Trump's Trade Talks: A New Deal with China?

Trump has been talking about a new trade agreement with China. He mentioned this deal during a recent interview, but he didn't share any specifics. The Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick, also confirmed that a deal was signed earlier in the week. However, neither Trump nor Lutnick gave any details about what was agreed upon. This isn't the first time Trump has talke...

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Jun 10 2025POLITICS

The Rare Earths Gambit: Trump and Xi's Phone Call

On June 5th, a phone conversation between U. S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping took place. This was the first direct talk between the two leaders since Trump's second term began and since tensions soared in the 2025 U. S. -China trade war. Trump quickly shared his thoughts on social media, calling the call a success for his administr...

reading time about 2 minutes
Jun 09 2025POLITICS

The US-China Chip and Rare Earths Trade-Off

The US and China are in a tense trade standoff. It is not a new thing. The two superpowers have been at it for years. The latest round of talks happened in London. The US wants China to speed up the export of rare earths. These are crucial for making high-tech products. In return, the US might ease restrictions on selling chips to China. This is a big deal. I...

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Jun 09 2025SCIENCE

How to Extract Rare Earths Efficiently and Cleanly

Rare earth elements are crucial for modern technology. They are often found in weathered crusts. However, extracting them is tricky. The process usually brings out unwanted impurities. These impurities need to be removed before the rare earths can be used. This removal step can lead to significant loss of rare earths and environmental harm. Scientists have been work...

reading time about 1 minute