US rare earth supply chain expansion
Analysis based on 13 articles · First reported Aug 03, 2026 · Last updated Aug 03, 2026
The push to diversify rare earth supply chains is likely to benefit companies like Phoenix Tailings and Solvay, while increasing costs for defense contractors. The executive order and geopolitical tensions may accelerate investment in domestic and allied processing, but near-term supply constraints could persist.
The United States is accelerating efforts to reduce its reliance on China for critical minerals used in defense and high-tech products. Phoenix Tailings, a small refinery in New Hampshire, received a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to expand its separation and metallization capacity, aiming to produce rare earth metals like neodymium, praseodymium, and samarium from mine waste. The urgency is heightened by the war with Iran depleting U.S. munitions stockpiles and by President Donald Trump's executive order imposing stricter controls on defense contractors sourcing critical materials from China. Meanwhile, Arnold Magnetic Technologies has turned to Solvay's La Rochelle facility in France for samarium, and Patriot Critical Minerals Corporation is concerned about tungsten supply after a 2027 Pentagon deadline. The Center for Strategic and International Studies warned that replenishing missile stockpiles could take at least three years.
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