Geopolitical stakes rise over control of rare earth elements
Automobiles are among the largest users of rare earth elements (REEs). Agriculture and industry, too, rely on them.
Updated At : 07:02 AM Jun 05, 2025 IST
High-tech: Lithium battery products being manufactured at a factory in China. Reuters
IMAGINE a world without smartphones, electric cars, wind turbines, LED lights or even the vivid colours on your TV screen. It may sound like fiction, but such a world would be our reality without the rare earth elements (REEs). The REEs are 17 chemically similar metals which are essential to modern life. From powering green energy and securing national defence to enabling everyday gadgets, the REEs have quietly become the backbone of the 21st century technology.
