U.S. ramps up efforts to secure a domestic rare-earth supply chain

A recent surge of public- and private-sector deals has put rare earth elements back at the center of industrial and defense strategy.

Seventeen metals classified as rare earths are key components in everything from smartphones and EV motors to MRI machines and advanced weapons systems. Most processing and magnet production today is concentrated in China, which has used export controls to exert leverage.

The U.S. response pairs government policy with fledgling domestic industry. Small manufacturers — exemplified by a Research Triangle Park startup that raised a $65 million Series A and has secured more than $10 million in military contracts — are building magnet production free of Chinese supply links and planning capacity growth from single-digit tons to thousands of tons over the coming years.

Defence demand is substantial: an F-35 contains roughly 900 pounds of rare-earth components and a submarine can have over 9,000 pounds. Future demand should rise further with robots, wind turbines, electric vehicles and AI hardware.

Challenges remain: some element deposits are geologically scarce in the U.S., so partnerships with allies, expanded mining and processing, recycling, and materials-efficiency innovations are part of a multi-year strategy. Experts estimate realistic self-sufficiency may take five to ten years.