America gave up its rare earth edge. China took full advantage.

Decades of cheaper imports left US dependent on China for crucial rare earth processing.

The short version

• Look around you, and you’ll see rare earth elements at work.
• A phone vibrates because a magnet moves a weight .
• Its screen was polished with cerium powder.

What happened

Its connection to the rest of the world crosses oceans on cables amplified with erbium . If you drove today, a rare earth magnet helped you steer, and a cerium compound scrubbed the exhaust .

Why it matters

All of these devices function because of 17 metals collectively known as rare earth elements .

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.