I noticed an interesting trend that few people are discussing. In the U.S., serious problems are beginning with the supply of rare earth elements, and this is already affecting the aerospace and semiconductor sectors. According to industry insiders, some suppliers have already started refusing to fulfill orders due to material shortages.

The most interesting part is that the problem does not affect all rare earth elements from this family. Mainly, it concerns yttrium and scandium — elements that most people have never heard of, but which are critically important for defense technologies, aerospace, and the production of modern chips.

Kevin Michaels, who specializes in supply chains for the aerospace industry, says that although yttrium has not yet halted jet engine production, manufacturers are clearly nervous. This is understandable — when components become scarce, there is always a risk.

An even more alarming signal comes from the semiconductor industry. Dylan Pate from SemiAnalysis warned that American chipmakers are beginning to experience a shortage of scandium. This is already a direct threat to the production of the next generation of 5G chips. If rare earth elements become a bottleneck, it could seriously slow down technological innovation.

Overall, this situation shows how vulnerable the supply chain of high-tech components really is. When rare earth elements start to disappear, it affects not just one industry — it’s a systemic problem.