This month, China, which currently holds a near-complete monopoly on the production of rare earth metals, imposed export restrictions on seven metals in response to US President Donald Trump's increase in tariffs on imports of products from China.

Experts say this move could harm US military capabilities.

According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), the United States is particularly vulnerable to the supply chain of essential minerals and may have difficulty finding alternative sources of supply for these minerals, which are used, among other things, to produce fighter jets, submarines, advanced missiles, radar systems, and more.