Part 10/12:
In response, the U.S. government initiated efforts to address the dependency issue. President Obama formally filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China for creating artificial shortages. The WTO eventually ruled against Beijing, but tangible changes remained slow.
Meanwhile, American companies and the Pentagon have begun stockpiling rare earths and investing in research to develop alternative materials or recycling technologies. There are some signs of revival; for example, a California mine, Molly Corporation’s Mountain Pass, reopened after environmental modernization, but it still produces only a fraction of the global demand.