Hardware Podcasts

The geopolitics of rare earth elements

Catalyst · 24 Apr 2025 · 32m

What this episode covers

Ahmad Ghahreman, co-founder and CEO of Cyclic Materials, explains the geopolitical dominance of China in the rare earth element (REE) supply chain and the recent escalation of export controls. He details how China controls 90% of processing and 93% of magnet manufacturing, with a near-monopoly on heavy rare earths like dysprosium and terbium which are critical for high-temperature EV motors. Ghahreman discusses the timeline of Chinese restrictions, from banning technology exports in 2023 to recent controls on oxides, metals, and magnets, and argues that recycling end-of-life products offers a viable path to an ex-China supply chain.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cyclic Materials, MP Materials, Vacuum Schmitz, Solvay, Energy Impact Partners, Latitude Media, EnergyHub, Anza
Also
dysprosium, terbium, neodymium, praseodymium, scandium

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