Select Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (R-MI) and Congressman Zach Nunn (R-IA) have raised concerns about China's control over critical minerals in an op-ed published by National Review. Their commentary follows the release of the committee's report, "Predatory Pricing: How the Chinese Communist Party Manipulates Global Mineral Prices To Maintain Its Dominance," and a related hearing.
In their article, Moolenaar and Nunn describe recent actions by China regarding rare-earth export controls. They note that at the end of last year, China imposed restrictions on these exports but suspended them after a trade framework was reached between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping during a meeting in South Korea. According to the authors, this agreement provided only temporary relief for the United States.
They write, "That framework has provided a year-long reprieve, but the Chinese government has made its position clear: Critical minerals are not commodities to be traded but leverage to be used against the United States and our allies at the negotiating table. Until we solve this dependency, the Chinese will weaponize it against us."
Moolenaar and Nunn argue that China's approach is part of a long-term strategy. "This is a consistent threat the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been communicating for over a decade — across the industries it seeks to dominate and the infrastructure it plans to control. It is a playbook we have seen China execute many times before: Subsidize domestic champions, manipulate markets, seize critical chokepoints, then leverage that control to extract concessions."
The op-ed highlights how rare-earth elements are essential for various sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, and defense. The authors state that when China suspended rare-earth exports in October, U.S. manufacturers experienced immediate challenges such as price increases and supply delays.
They also mention efforts to address vulnerabilities in agricultural supply chains. "After hearing concerns from producers about growing supply chain vulnerabilities, we worked with colleagues to secure a commitment from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to add these minerals to the U.S. critical minerals list," they wrote.
Moolenaar and Nunn emphasize how dependent American industries are on materials controlled by China: "More tangibly, every smartphone, electric vehicle, and artillery shell requires access to materials China controls, or else they cannot be produced."
The article recounts historical examples such as Magnequench—a former General Motors subsidiary acquired by Chinese firms in 1995—which eventually moved production from Indiana to China after promising initially to keep operations in place.
According to data cited by Moolenaar and Nunn, China now accounts for 70 percent of global rare-earth mining within its borders, 85–90 percent of mineral refining capacity worldwide, and more than 90 percent of magnet production. They reference findings from a Select Committee investigation showing Beijing provided approximately $57 billion in subsidies to mining companies while restricting price transparency.
To address these issues, Moolenaar and Nunn call for revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through measures like using the Defense Production Act to prioritize domestic mineral production. They point out ongoing cooperation between government agencies such as the Pentagon and private companies like MP Materials—currently operating America’s only producing rare-earth mine—to strengthen domestic supply chains.
They argue that success will require streamlined permitting processes, strategic procurement policies through resource reserves, and stronger collaboration with international partners including Australia and Japan.
"The facts on the ground right now are bleak: China is using its monopoly as leverage across industries and spheres of competition," they write. "But we also know that nothing can outpace or outperform American ingenuity and innovation at its fullest strength."
The authors conclude with specific goals: ensuring fertilizer prices in states like Iowa and Michigan are independent of political developments in Beijing; building a defense industrial base free from CCP-controlled supply chains; and enabling American producers to support allied nations’ needs for critical minerals.
"We didn’t win the Cold War by depending on Soviet steel. We won’t win this century by depending on Chinese minerals," they state. "If Beijing controls the inputs, it controls the outcomes. America cannot afford that dependence. Not economically. And not strategically."
