Australia Orders China-Linked Investors to Sell Stakes in Rare Earths Firm

Bags containing a mixture of rare earth elements at the facility of Australian mining firm Lynas in eastern Malaysia's Gebeng on April 8, 2026. Tonnes of packaged rare earth minerals sat ready for shipping with the ambitions of loosening China's grip on supplies of the critical elements. Photo / Arif Kartono / AFP)
Bags containing a mixture of rare earth elements at the facility of Australian mining firm Lynas in eastern Malaysia's Gebeng on April 8, 2026. Tonnes of packaged rare earth minerals sat ready for shipping with the ambitions of loosening China's grip on supplies of the critical elements. Photo / Arif Kartono / AFP)

Australia ordered a string of China-linked shareholders to sell their stakes in a rare earths firm on Monday, citing the need to protect the sector from foreign control.

Northern Minerals is vying to challenge China’s dominance in producing dysprosium, a rare earth mineral used to make high-performance magnets used in electric vehicles.

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