Critical Minerals and Rare Earths Supply Chains (1990–2025)

1. China’s 1990s surge reshapes rare earth supply

   Jan 1, 1995Labels: China, Rare earth

   • Springer
   • Visual Capitalist

2. China introduces rare earth export quotas

   Jan 1, 1999Labels: China, Export quotas

   • Springer
   • Intereconomics

3. Mountain Pass mining is suspended in California

   Jan 1, 2002Labels: Mountain Pass, United States

   • MP Materials
   • NS Energy

4. China halts rare earth shipments to Japan

   Sep 23, 2010Labels: China, Japan

   • CNBC

5. U.S. DOE publishes its Critical Materials Strategy

   Dec 17, 2010Labels: U S, Critical Materials

   • DOE

6. WTO dispute begins over China’s export restrictions

   Jul 23, 2012Labels: WTO, China

   • WTO

7. Molycorp bankruptcy idles Mountain Pass again

   Jan 1, 2015Labels: Molycorp, Mountain Pass

   • MP Materials
   • MP 10 K

8. WTO ruling leads China to remove quotas and duties

   May 20, 2015Labels: WTO ruling, China

   • WTO

9. MP Materials acquires Mountain Pass assets

   Jul 1, 2017Labels: MP Materials, Mountain Pass

   • MP 10 K
   • MP History

10. U.S. finalizes its first federal critical minerals list

    May 18, 2018Labels: U S, Critical minerals

    • USGS OFR
    • Federal Register

11. IEA links clean-energy growth to mineral supply risk

    May 5, 2021Labels: IEA, Clean energy

    • IEA

12. USGS updates and expands U.S. critical minerals list

    Feb 22, 2022Labels: USGS, Critical minerals

    • USGS

13. Inflation Reduction Act ties EV credits to mineral sourcing

    Aug 16, 2022Labels: Inflation Reduction, EV credits

    • Treasury

14. European Commission proposes the Critical Raw Materials Act

    Mar 16, 2023Labels: European Commission, CRMA proposal

    • Gov se

15. EU adopts its negotiating mandate for the CRMA

    Jun 30, 2023Labels: EU Council, CRMA mandate

    • Council EU

16. EU Critical Raw Materials Act becomes law

    Apr 11, 2024Labels: EU Regulation, Critical Raw

    • EUR Lex