China did open a new mine last year (after 16 years of delays), so that's something. The US is planning on a few new mines in Arizona and Minnesota, but these are running into delays and legal challenges. Whew
World big players are lining up to be in thew "first" row.
Haven't we discover "other" ways to mine these minerals without a huge environmental cost? Or is it technically/economically impossible to access, mine and purify in a “cleaner” way?