Why rare minerals like neodymium have become China’s wild card in the trade war with Trump

One country dominates the market for rare earth minerals. That one country also happens to the prime target in President Trump’s trade war. China is home to the world’s largest deposits of rare earth minerals. And it’s threatening to use that to its advantage as Trump and China’s Xi Jinping attempt to negotiate a trade deal.

Rare earth minerals are found in a host of products, from cellphone and TV screens to vehicle batteries, metal baseball bats and precision-guided weapons.

Watch the video above to learn how China’s threats to cut off supply to rare earth minerals plays into the Trump’s trade war, and how it could affect U.S. businesses.