U.S. Trade Proclamation Spurs Domestic Rare Earths Push

A U.S. trade proclamation issued Jan. 14, 2026 invokes Section 232 to tighten imports of processed critical minerals, aiming to strengthen supply chains and reduce national security exposure from heavy reliance on foreign sources.
The measure specifically highlights rare earth elements and derivative products, including permanent magnets used in electronics, defense systems and clean technology.
American Rare Earths reported producing mixed rare earth oxide (MREO) from Halleck Creek ore in December 2025, a technical milestone that can enable downstream separation into neodymium-praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. MREO serves as the precursor feedstock for producing high-value magnet materials used in robotics, propulsion and advanced electronics, directly supporting policy goals to expand domestic processing capacity.
The Halleck Creek project, advanced through Wyoming Rare (USA) Inc., sits on Wyoming state land at the Cowboy State Mine and is designed for cost-efficient open-pit mining with plans for onsite processing and separation facilities. The development aims to reduce U.S. dependence on imports-predominantly from China-while collaborating with government R&D programs and pursuing environmentally responsible extraction and processing methods.