China imposed restrictions on exporting two metals that are crucial to parts of the semiconductor, telecommunications and electric-vehicle industries in an escalation of the country’s tit-for-tat trade war on technology with the US and Europe.
China doesn’t have the only source of these metals. They are everywhere. However, processing them is incredibly toxic and dangerous, making the process very expensive. Unless you are China and don’t care about the environment. So basically this cuts us off from cheap sources. Just like cutting companies off from cheap labor means no one wants to work, companies being cut off from cheap metal means there isn’t an alternative.
China doesn’t have the only source of these metals. They are everywhere. However, processing them is incredibly toxic and dangerous, making the process very expensive. Unless you are China and don’t care about the environment. So basically this cuts us off from cheap sources. Just like cutting companies off from cheap labor means no one wants to work, companies being cut off from cheap metal means there isn’t an alternative.