New Delhi, June 10 -- China has once again weaponized its dominant position in the supply of rare earth minerals. It has imposed stringent export curbs on these elements that are critical inputs in a range of industries from automobiles to aerospace and defence. The move comes as a response to US restrictions on the export of semiconductor technology to China.

These battles are being waged against the backdrop of a broader truce in the once-escalating trade war between the world's two largest national economies.

The Chinese chokehold on the supply of rare earth minerals has sent a jolt through many industries in other parts of the world, including India. For example, there are fears that assembly lines in the automobile industry will gr...