60 Minutes S2025E28 - The Rare Essentials

The Rare Essentials
At the very top of the world, Greenland is not only remote, it's breathtakingly stunning. Its beauty, though, is not why it is so attractive to Donald Trump. He says the island is vital for America's future security. But as well as being geopolitically significant, Greenland is also full of rare earth minerals. They're considered essential ingredients for modern life, critical in the manufacture of mobile phones, computers, electric cars, and even the latest military hardware and weapons. Currently, China controls the world market for these precious materials, so to counter that, President Trump wants to buy Greenland. And if that doesn't work, he has threatened to simply take it. Believe it or not, Trump's bluster is actually good news for a little-known Australian mining company with the exploration rights to Greenland's largest rare earth deposits. It's worth billions of dollars, but as Tara Brown discovers, the locals who stand to share in the riches aren't convinced any of this is beneficial to them.
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producer: Laura Sparkes