Rare earth minerals, which President Donald Trump hopes to secure from Ukraine as part of a deal for US aid, are strategic metals essential for industries developing computers, batteries, and cutting-edge energy technology. What are rare earths, and are they rare? With names like dysprosium, neodymium and cerium, rare earths are a group of 17 heavy metals that are actually abundant in the Earth’s crust across the globe. In a 2024 assessment, the United States Geological Survey estimated there were 110m tonnes of deposits worldwide, including 44 million in China – by far the world’s largest producer. A further 22m…