How the US gave up its edge to China in processing vital rare earth minerals – and what that’s costing - The Conversation

Australia's strategic minerals (rare earths, lithium, cobalt) are only leverageable as a decoupling tool if processing capacity exists outside China. Loss of US processing edge signals that even allied raw-material production may funnel through China for value-addition, undermining Resource Sovereignty and Decoupling pillars. This directly weakens Australia's ability to use resource exports as a strategic hedge against Chinese coercion.