China’s Wreaking Havoc On America’s Jet Engine Supply Chain

America’s aerospace industry is dusting off decades-old technology to protect critical components in jet engines.

The industry is scrambling to replace yttrium, a rare earth metal used in heat-resistant coatings that protect turbine blades, vanes and other jet-engine components from extreme temperatures, Reuters reported. China’s stranglehold on the metal has accelerated that search, with Beijing directly supplying about 70% of U.S. yttrium imports between 2021 and 2024, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

“There’s a huge shortage of yttrium, which is used for making turbine coating inside every jet engine,” REAlloys Inc. Chief Growth Officer Anupam Ghildyal told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “Without that, they can’t build jet engines.

The shortage is forcing aerospace suppliers to reconsider technologies dating to the 1970s and 1980s. Suppliers are testing zirconium-dioxide coatings stabilized with magnesium or calcium instead of yttrium, while some companies are also attempting to recycle coating material, according to Reuters.

Chinese yttrium shipments to the United States plunged after Beijing imposed export controls, while prices rose and some coating suppliers rationed material or temporarily halted production, Reuters reported in February. GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and Honeywell declined to comment to Reuters at the time, though aerospace supply-chain specialist Kevin Michaels said low inventories had not yet reduced engine production.

Oerlikon Surface Solutions, a major supplier of aerospace and turbine coatings, uses yttrium in thermal-barrier coatings designed to protect engine components from extreme heat.

China’s restrictions have pushed Oerlikon to seek alternative supplies. Dattatraya Kamatkar, global head of sourcing at Oerlikon Surface Solutions, told Manufacturing Dive in April that the company had to “get creative” securing yttrium oxide, including recycling material from its manufacturing process and working with U.S. suppliers and the federal government to secure additional supplies.

The pressure extends beyond aircraft engines. GE Vernova, one of the world’s largest gas-turbine manufacturers, began working with the U.S. government to increase its yttrium stocks after China’s restrictions disrupted supplies, Reuters reported in December. CEO Scott Strazik said the company had enough inventory to carry it into 2026 and that managing yttrium availability had become a daily focus. GE Vernova is also investing in alternative materials to reduce its dependence on the rare earth.

Honeywell, a major supplier of thermal-barrier coatings for aircraft and industrial gas-turbine engines, uses yttrium-containing materials to protect critical engine components from extreme heat. The company says its predominant aerospace coating is 6% to 8% yttria-stabilized zirconia, a ceramic material containing yttrium.