A escândio e o ítrio, dois tipos de elementos de terras raras, enfrentam uma grave escassez. Alguns fornecedores americanos de aeroespacial e semicondutores já estão "incapazes de aceitar pedidos".

According to industry insiders, suppliers to American aerospace and semiconductor companies are currently facing an increasingly severe shortage of rare earth elements. The shortage is primarily concentrated on two types of rare earth elements: yttrium and scandium. One of the key pain points is yttrium, which is used in coatings to prevent engines and turbines from melting at high temperatures. Without regular application of these coatings, engines cannot operate. Since November last year, the price of yttrium in international markets has increased by about 60%, with the current price being approximately 69 times that of a year ago. According to some executives and traders from American companies, some coating manufacturers have now started to implement material rationing. Executives from two North American companies that purchase yttrium to manufacture coatings have stated that they have had to temporarily halt production due to the yttrium shortage. Dylan Patel, founder and CEO of SemiAnalysis, stated that, in addition to yttrium, the scandium required by American semiconductor manufacturers is also about to run out. Patel pointed out that major semiconductor manufacturers in the United States rely on scandium to produce chip components, which are “essentially used in every 5G smartphone and base station.” (Cailian Press)