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China Geopolitical

Inside the American Startups Trying to Break China's Mineral Chokehold

By Bloomberg Markets April 12, 2026 Bullish
Inside the American Startups Trying to Break China's Mineral Chokehold
For over a decade, China has quietly built effectively a monopoly on the critical minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets and the US is now racing to catch up. David Westin speaks with a New Hampshire startup called Phoenix Tailings, where CEO Nick Myers is trying to break China's chokehold on the supply chain. He also talks with author David Abraham, CFR's Heidi Crebo-Rediker, and former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns about how the US fell so far behind, and wheth
For over a decade, China has quietly built effectively a monopoly on the critical minerals that power everything from smartphones to fighter jets and the US is now racing to catch up. David Westin speaks with a New Hampshire startup called Phoenix Tailings, where CEO Nick Myers is trying to break China's chokehold on the supply chain. He also talks with author David Abraham, CFR's Heidi Crebo-Rediker, and former US Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns about how the US fell so far behind, and whether innovation can help it leapfrog back into the game. (Source: Bloomberg)
Topics: critical mineralsrare earth elementssupply chainChinaUSinnovation