mining

It has been beset on all sides by threats of one kind or another, since, really colonial times, but most recently, that threat has come in the form of mining.

Many other countries and environmental groups oppose deep-sea mining in international waters without further research.

While Australia, Japan and Vietnam have begun mining for rare earths, it will take years before China can be cut out of the supply chain.

President Trump has also ramped up oil-and-gas drilling, coal production and natural-resources mining, including in sensitive landscapes such as parts of rural Alaska.

"This allowed them to undercut global competitors and build a near-monopoly across the entire value chain, from mining and refining to the manufacturing of finished products like magnets."