Starting over a year ago, China has created an elaborate set of rules to cast a net over its exports of minerals the rest of the world can’t live without. These minerals with obscure names, mostly so-called rare earth metals, are vital for making a vast array of military and civilian goods, from fighter jets to semiconductors to cars. The export controls have given Beijing enormous leverage because China is the dominant supplier. China is the sole producer, for example, of samarium, a rare earth metal used in many military applications. China is also the only country to master the difficult art of refining ultrapure dysprosium: The entire world’s supply, needed for superfast chips, comes from a single factory near Shanghai.

Full in-depth : China’s far-reaching rules already affect manufacturers of semiconductors, cars and many other products. They will soon become much broader.