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July 26, 2025
 

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RARE EARTHS

Marine biologist Teina Rongo on his boat passing the research vessel MV Anuanua Moana in Rarotonga, Cook Islands, on June 12. Mining exploration has left many Cook Islanders such as Rongo fearing deep-sea mining could taint their precious ocean forever.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 23, 2025
The Pacific island nation that wants to mine the ocean floor
Research vessels roam the seas around the Cook Islands in search of deposits of battery metals, rare earths and critical minerals.
Polymetallic nodules — bulbous lumps of rock that are rich in battery metals such as cobalt and nickel which carpet huge tracts of Pacific Ocean seabed — in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands on June 12.
WORLD / Politics
Jul 22, 2025
Trump’s critical minerals obsession reignites deep-sea mining
President Donald Trump has issued an executive order expediting U.S. licensing of seabed mining, departing from international law.
A rare earth smelting workshop near the town of Damao in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 2010. China is the world's largest producer of such minerals.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 21, 2025
China quietly issues 2025 rare earth quotas, sources say
The quotas serve as a barometer for the global supply of rare earths, a group of 17 elements used in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robots and missiles.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang speaks at the opening ceremony of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 16, 2025
U.S. says Nvidia's sales of AI chips to China are part of rare earths talks
The planned resumption is a reversal of an export restriction imposed in April that is designed to keep the most advanced AI chips out of Chinese hands.
Rare earth magnets in Baotou, China. India is planning to spur local production of rare-earth magnets to cut its reliance on China.
BUSINESS
Jul 10, 2025
India plans to kickstart rare-earth magnet output to cut China reliance
China's tightening of export controls on rare earths amid a trade war with the U.S. has disrupted supply chains for global carmakers, including those operating in India.
A sample of gallium (Ga)
BUSINESS
Jul 9, 2025
How U.S. buyers of critical minerals bypass China's export ban
Trade data illustrate a re-routing of U.S. shipments via third countries — an issue Chinese officials have acknowledged.
A satellite image shows an overview of new rare-earth mines in Myanmar's Shan state on May 6.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 8, 2025
China risks global heavy rare-earth supply to stop Myanmar rebel victory
China has threatened to halt buying the minerals mined in KIA-controlled territory unless the Kachin Independence Army stops trying to seize full control of a key town.
Japan's deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu is seen anchored at a pier in Shimizu port, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 2013.
JAPAN
Jul 3, 2025
Japan plans 'world first' deep-sea mineral extraction
Earlier this week the country pledged to work with the United States, India and Australia to ensure a stable supply of critical minerals.
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar (left), Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong (second from left), Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya (second from right) and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stand together at the start of a meeting of "the Quad" at the U.S. State Department in Washington on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jul 2, 2025
‘Quad’ nations announce critical minerals initiative amid China concerns
A joint statement was carefully crafted not to directly mention China, but the four Indo-Pacific countries made clear a goal of reducing dependence on Beijing.
An electric motor, jointly developed by Honda and Daido Steel, for hybrid cars that uses no heavy rare earth metals is displayed at an unveiling in Tokyo in July 2016.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 23, 2025
Honda supplier rethinks China relationship as trade war bites
For Daido Steel, the trade war has meant renewing a push to build rare earth supply routes outside of China.
Rare earths from Australia's Mount Weld mine. Japanese companies have a supply agreement with a company that sources rare earths from the mine.
BUSINESS / Economy / FOCUS
Jun 16, 2025
Japan and the U.S. face challenges in economic security discussions
In their trade negotiations, the subject is much discussed, especially as rare earths become an issue.
A man works at the site of a rare earth metals mine at Nancheng county, in China's Jiangxi province, in October 2010.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 15, 2025
U.S.-China trade truce leaves military-use rare earth issue unresolved
The renewed U.S.-China trade truce left a key area of export restrictions tied to national security untouched, an unresolved conflict that threatens a more comprehensive deal.
U.S. President Donald Trump came into office promising to radically remake the U.S.-China trade relationship.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 13, 2025
For Trump, resolving U.S.-China trade fight comes at a cost
The back-and-forth to seal a deal with Beijing exposed that key U.S. industries are reliant on magnets largely sourced from China.
United Wa State Army (UWSA) soldiers march during a media display in Pansang, Wa territory in northeast Myanmar in 2016. The armed group controls one of the world's largest tin mines.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jun 12, 2025
China-backed militia secures control of new rare earth mines in Myanmar
Beijing is heavily reliant on Myanmar for the rare earth metals and oxides needed to produce magnets that power critical goods.
The logo of South Korea's biggest automaker company, Hyundai Motor, is pictured in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on April 15.
BUSINESS / Companies
Jun 11, 2025
Hyundai Motor has a rare earths stockpile that can last about a year, source says
The stockpiling indicates Hyundai is better-placed than many competitors to withstand restrictions that have already impacted production for many companies.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick speaks to members of the media at Lancaster House in London on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 11, 2025
U.S. and China officials agree on plan to ramp down trade tensions
Officials on both sides expressed optimism but the framework must now be approved by leaders in Washington and Beijing.
U.S. Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent (L) and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (R) shake hands as they pose for a photo during trade discussions at the Lancaster House in London on Monday.
BUSINESS
Jun 10, 2025
U.S.-China trade and minerals talks in London set to extend to second day
Washington and Beijing are trying to revive a temporary truce struck in Geneva that had briefly lowered trade tensions and calmed markets.
Officials and government leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin (center right) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (center left) attend a ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Victory Day, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Moscow on May 9.
WORLD / Politics
Jun 9, 2025
Secret Russian intelligence document shows deep suspicion of China
Some officials believe Beijing is trying to recruit Russian spies and steal sensitive military tech, at times by luring disaffected Russian scientists.
Rare-earth magnets in Tianjin, China
WORLD / Politics
Jun 9, 2025
U.S. and China to resume trade talks with focus on rare earth exports
Both sides have accused the other of reneging on a deal in Geneva in May where they tried to start dialing back their trade war.
A worker at a rare earth metals mine in Jiangxi province, China, in 2012
BUSINESS / Markets
Jun 8, 2025
China says it may speed up rare earths application approvals from EU
Beijing's recent suspension of rare earths-related exports upended the supply chains central to numerous industries around the world.
Tokyo is the No. 2 choice for international students
The University of Tokyo. International students are increasingly flocking to Asia, with affordability being a particularly important metric.
Junglia, Japan’s newest theme park, opens in northern Okinawa
In Junglia’s Dinosaur Safari attraction during a media preview on Thursday, a casual drive through a habitat for the prehistoric creatures goes haywire when several Tyrannosaurus rexes break out of containment.
Big unanswered questions follow Japan's big, beautiful deal with the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday in Washington, the day after he agreed to an 11th-hour trade deal with Japan.
Extreme heat grips Japan, even Hokkaido
The city of Obihiro in Hokkaido amid scorching heat on Thursday
Japan ties with South Korea for second most powerful passport
Japanese passport holders have visa-free access to 190 destinations out of 227 globally.
Hall of Fame always held deeper meaning for Ichiro
Ichiro presents then-Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson with the bat he used to break the single-season hits record in 2004.
Japan leans into homegrown AI amid rising competition
McKinsey’s 2025 Technology Trends Outlook, published Wednesday, says that the use of “sovereign AI” is a trend gaining significant global traction, including in Japan.
JT picks: What not to miss at Fuji Rock 2025
Fuji Rock Festival turns the green slopes of Niigata Prefecture’s Naeba Ski Resort into a summer escape that offers soundtracks for every mood.
Japan’s top brands get tied up in the great sunscreen debate
A coral reef in Okinawa in July 2022. Some jurisdictions around the world have moved to ban certain sunscreens in a bid to protect coral reefs, but some say the impact on reefs is far from clear.
Pentagon looks to unleash ‘military drone dominance’
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth hosts a drone demonstration at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on July 10.

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