March 29, 2024
News

US finalizes ban on rare metal from North Korea and China

Rule is designed to safeguard US national security, though DPRK likely hasn’t exported tantalum in decades

The U.S. on Thursday finalized a ban on imports of the rare element tantalum from North Korea, China, Russia and Iran in a bid to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign suppliers.

According to the Defense Department, restricting imports of the rare chemical element is necessary for national security reasons, as it is used in a range of sensitive, defense-related technology such high-quality capacitors and jet engines.

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