Rare earths at a glance

·Rare earth elements are used in a wide range of consumer and military products, from iPhones to electric car motors, jet engines, satellites and lasers. China is a major supplier.

·Rare earth metals are a group of 17 elements. They are considered rare because they appear in low concentrations in nature and are difficult and costly to mine and process.

·China has most of the world's processing capacity. In 2017, China accounted for 81 percent of the world's rare earth production, according to the US Geological Survey.