Kazakhstan has announced the discovery of its largest-ever deposit of rare earth metals, a significant development in the global race for critical raw materials. Located in the country’s central Karaganda region,

From fighter planes to nuclear reactor rods and smartphones, rare earth minerals are vital to a wide array of products. As geopolitical and trade tensions rise, China’s dominance of both mining and processing means these niche metals have become a cudgel to use against opponents.

MP Materials , which owns the only U.S. rare earths mine, said on Thursday it has stopped shipping the critical minerals to China for processing after Beijing boosted import tariffs to 125% in response to U.