Apple said it will used recycled rare earths in its “Taptic Engine,” a part that lets iPhones mimic a physical button click despite being a flat pane of glass. The part is about one-quarter of the rare earth elements inside the iPhone models.
Rare earths, a group of 17 specialized minerals, have become a flash point in trade tensions between the United States and China. The elements are used in weapons, consumer electronics and other goods.
China dominates the processing of the raw minerals, and has implied through its state-controlled media that it could restrict rare earths sales to the United States, just as it did to Japan after a diplomatic dispute in 2010.