A bipartisan piece of legislation to be introduced in the US Senate would force defence contractors to stop buying rare earths from China by 2026 and use the Pentagon to create a permanent stockpile of the strategic minerals.The bill, sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, and Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat, is expected to be introduced on Friday, the Reuters news agency reported. It is the latest in a string of US legislation seeking to thwart China’s near-total control over the sector.It essentially uses the Pentagon’s purchase of billions of dollars worth of fighter jets, missiles and other weapons as leverage to require contractors to stop relying on China and, by extension, support the revival of US rare-earths production.
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