U.S. racing to build a domestic rare‑earth supply chain for defense and industry

A recent surge of public‑private deals highlights a national push to reduce reliance on China for processed rare earth elements and high‑performance magnets. These 17 metals power consumer electronics, EVs, wind turbines and critical military systems — an F‑35 contains around 900 pounds, a submarine more than 9,000 pounds of rare‑earth materials in sensors and electric motors. China currently dominates processing and has used export restrictions as leverage, prompting urgent U.S. action to re‑establish domestic capability. Startups and larger firms are scaling magnet production. One two‑year‑old company in Research Triangle Park closed a $65 million Series A, has supplied all branches of the military, and signed supply contracts with mining and processors — deliberately avoiding Chinese inputs. Federal efforts span administrations: multibillion‑dollar deals with domestic miners, direct investment, and Pentagon coordination to rebuild an end‑to‑end chain from ore to magnets. Constraints remain. Some rare earths aren’t commercially viable to mine in the U.S., so partnerships with allies (Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia), recycling, and material‑reduction strategies are being deployed. Experts say progress is tangible but full self‑sufficiency will likely take five to ten years, contingent on investment, industrial scaling, and securing diverse sources of concentrate and processing capacity.