US arms rebuild hinges on China amid gallium bottleneck
TL;DR
The Middle East conflict has damaged U.S. radar interceptors in the region, depleting stocks and forcing Washington to restock. A key bottleneck is gallium, a critical mineral largely processed in China, which could give Beijing leverage as the U.S. seeks to rebuild its weapons cache. Gallium prices have surged and experts warn diversifying and securing resilient supply chains will take years, prompting the U.S. to pursue allied deals (e.g., with Australia), stockpiles, and domestic refining capacity to reduce dependence on China.
- The Middle East war depleted US weapons. Rebuilding will require China's cooperation. Politico
- [SMM Analysis] What Drove Global Tungsten Markets in March? Offshore Prices Up 30%, China Enters Consolidation Shanghai Metals Market
- How the Iran war set off a global scramble for strategic metals The Business Times
- Guest columnist: Mideast conflict highlights need to rebuild domestic mining State-Journal
- Tungsten Outpaces Gold & Copper as Global Supply Tightens Streetwise Reports
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