Rare Earths & Critical Minerals: Supply Chains, Tariffs & Global Competition

Rare earth minerals may power the energy transition, defense innovation, and digital infrastructure—but access to them is anything but simple. With China dominating global supply, rising geopolitical tensions, and major policy moves underway, the world’s dependency on critical minerals is now front and center.

In this episode of Navigating the Currents of Change, host Shaheen Chohan is joined by Joe Govreau, IIR’s Senior Vice President of Research Operations for Metals & Minerals, to break down the data behind the headlines.

We’ll cover:

• Why rare earths and permanent magnets are vital to global industries
• The impact of recent U.S.- China trade negotiations
• Where mining, refining, and magnet production projects are happening now
• How global policies like Fast-41 and the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act are reshaping supply chains
• Whether new CAPEX can reduce dependence on China’s dominance

If you track mining, manufacturing, defense, or global industrial supply chains, this episode is essential listening.