Defendants stand during their trial for illegal exploitation and exports of rare earths at the People's Court in Hanoi on May 21, 2025

Defendants stand during their trial for illegal exploitation and exports of rare earths at the People's Court in Hanoi on May 21, 2025

 STR

A Vietnamese court on Wednesday jailed 23 officials and business people over the illegal exploitation and export of rare earths.

The trial comes after the US Geological Survey (USGS) this year significantly revised down its estimate of rare earth deposits in Vietnam, which it once considered the world's second largest.

Originally published on doc.afp.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.