Why Is This Rare Earth Metal 346 Times More Expensive In America Than in China?

Samarium sells for as much as 346 times more in North America than in China, and that price is just a preview of what American industry would pay the day Beijing stops exporting. Jet engines, industrial motors, EVs, wind turbines and medical scanners all run on rare earth magnets, and most U.S. manufacturers still buy theirs from China, at Chinese prices. Outside China, dysprosium costs five times as much and yttrium more than 100 times as much. Japan has already learned what happens when the Chinese supply slows: its government is asking Washington…