U.S. Trade Move Bolsters Domestic Rare Earths Supply Chain

A U.S. trade proclamation issued January 14, 2026, invokes Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act to adjust imports of processed critical minerals and derived products, aiming to shore up domestic processing capacity and reduce strategic vulnerabilities in defense and advanced manufacturing supply chains.

The proclamation highlights risks from heavy dependence on foreign sources of processed rare earths and downstream products such as permanent magnets used in electronics, weapons systems and clean technologies. It proposes negotiated trade measures alongside policies to expand U.S. production and processing.

American Rare Earths reported producing a mixed rare earth oxide (MREO) from its Halleck Creek ore in December 2025, a technical milestone that positions the company to advance downstream separation into key elements-NdPr, Dy and Tb-used for high-performance permanent magnets. MREO production is a necessary precursor to value-added separation and magnet feedstock manufacturing.

The Halleck Creek project in Wyoming, on state land, is being developed with plans for onsite processing and separation facilities, open-pit mining economics and collaboration with government R&D, aiming to reduce import reliance and strengthen supply-chain resilience.