The looming rare earths supply shortage is a problem that has been kicked around the international mining community for a number of years, and now it seems it has garnered the attention of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). China has secured 97 percent of the production of rare earths minerals and in recent years the country has decreased output while increasing export taxes on all its rare earth materials to a range of 15 to 25 percent, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that was commissioned by Congress.
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