{Soon after the blockade started, the panic began. When China choked off the export of rare-earth elements in April, producers and politicians around the world were quick to sound the alarm. China provides over 90% of the world’s supply of refined rare earths, which are used to make the strong magnets inside almost anything with an electric motor, from vacuum cleaners to cars, and which also appear in high-tech products from smartphones to fighter jets. Some carmakers curtailed production; the industry is in “panic mode”, said one boss. Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, thundered against China’s “dominance” and “blackmail”.}