Supply crunch: India needs a proactive strategy for rare earth security

India must also recognise that future value chains for critical minerals will be constructed, taking into account the demands of the host nations

Like many other countries, India is suffering collateral damage in the United States-China trade war. In April, responding to various trade restrictions and tariff impositions from American President Donald Trump, Beijing announced that certain heavy and medium rare earths and related magnets would be subject to export licences. Given the difficulty of obtaining licences and the complexity of demonstrating the end use of any particular shipment, this has in many cases amounted to an effective ban, which has affected Indian manufacturing. Beijing controls about 50 per cent of officially recognised reserves, 70 per cent of extraction capability, and 90 per