China’s restrictions on rare earths could hurt U.S. health care

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on The Washington Post or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: China has imposed new export restrictions on several rare earth minerals, including gadolinium and yttrium, which are vital to both defense systems and medical technologies such as MRI scans and cancer treatments
• The move, a response to escalating U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump, raises urgent concerns about supply disruptions in critical healthcare sectors

🔭 The context: Rare earths are vital for both military and health applications, creating supply chain risks
• China dominates global refining, processing 90% of rare earths despite mining elsewhere
• U.S. health care systems rely on Chinese inputs for drugs, equipment, and medical imaging

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Disruptions in rare earth supply chains could delay cancer diagnoses and limit access to advanced treatments, particularly where no direct substitutes exist
• The episode highlights the environmental and ethical stakes of global mineral dependencies, underlining the urgent need for more resilient and diversified critical mineral supply chains
• It also demonstrates how geopolitics can directly affect medical care and public health globally

⏭️ What's next: Hospitals and companies brace for impacts as Chinese exporters halt international shipments
• Firms like GE HealthCare and Bayer (see sustainability performance) are searching for non-Chinese suppliers to stabilise stock
• U.S. faces broader risk of pharmaceutical supply disruption amid rising trade tensions

💬 One quote: “Ultimately, this has consequences for cancer treatment and your ability to get diagnosed” — Gracelin Baskaran, Center for Strategic and International Studies

📈 One stat: 93% of U.S. yttrium compound imports from 2020–2023 came from China

See on illuminem's Data Hub™ the sustainability performance of Bayer and its peers Siemens Healthineers, AMN Healthcare Services, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Click for more news covering the latest on public governance