(STR/AFP via Getty Images) Tactical drones and their core components have grown increasingly sought-after amid their expanding use in conflicts from Ukraine to Iran and Yemen, and rare earths and rare minerals are critical inputs for missiles, radar

'Breathless Fantasy' Ukraine's rare earths and minerals may not be that easy to extract.

That order states that the United States faces "unprecedented economic and national security challenges in securing reliable supplies of critical minerals independent of foreign adversary control" and that mineral resources and rare earths are "key to

The move comes amid escalating tensions with China over supplies of rare earth minerals, materials essential to everything from fighter jets to semiconductors. U.S.

The companies targeted by the export controls include rare-earth miners MP Materials Corp. and USA Rare Earth, motor manufacturer Aveox, and defense technology companies Red Cat Holdings and its subsidiary Teal Drones.

The White House plans to expand its support for domestic rare earth businesses to counter China’s near monopoly on rare earth minerals.

Samples of rare earth minerals from left: Cerium oxide, Bastnaesite, Neodymium oxide, and Lanthanum carbonate at Molycorp's Mountain Pass Rare Earth facility in Mountain Pass, Calif., on June 29, 2015.

President Donald Trump’s upcoming decision on Jan. 19, 2026, on whether to impose Section 232 tariffs on critical minerals like rare earths, lithium, and silver.

China holds a monopoly on rare earth minerals, particularly on the processing and refining side.

A loader shifts soil containing rare-earth minerals at a port in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province, China, on Sept. 5, 2010.

The agreement could grant the United States access to Russia's rare earth minerals, which are critical for both civilian and military technologies.

The government’s significant stake in MP Materials, for example, to mine and separate rare earth minerals is a noteworthy example. These are critical steps, but they alone are not sufficient.

Carney has linked Canada's critical minerals to defence, allowing mining of minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth minerals to be considered part of defence spending.

The floods have displaced thousands, disrupted regional economies, and threatened critical infrastructure near key industrial hubs—including Baotou, a major center for China’s rare earth mineral production.

During a July 2025 opening ceremony at Wyoming's Brook Mine, where operators plan to produce coal and extract rare-earth elements, the lawmaker said reducing foreign supply-chain dependence was essential. "Dependency is vulnerability.

Last week, China expanded licensing requirements for the export of rare earth minerals, essential inputs for chipmaking, citing national security, with the ban on Nexperia’s China-made exports marking another escalation in the dispute.

As geopolitical competition with China and conflicts across the world highlight shortcomings in America’s defense industrial base and vulnerabilities in its supply chain for rare earth minerals, industrial policy has become fashionable on both sides of

(Christian Hartmann/Reuters) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and other G7 leaders agreed earlier this month to coordinate efforts to diversify supply chains for rare earths and other critical minerals.

Johnson, who also noted that Greenland has significant rare-earth mineral reserves, said that the Trump administration is "talking about diplomatic channels" regarding Greenland.

Meanwhile, the United States is seeking to secure its rare-earth mineral supply chains and reduce its reliance on China. Brazil has the world's second-largest reserves of rare earths and has become strategically important for the United States.

They include building out dual-use infrastructure, partnerships to allow for military drills, countering U.S. strategic aims, trade ties, and raw resources including rare earth minerals and timber.

The Apple deal comes after the Las Vegas-based rare-earths miner announced a public-private partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) on July 11 to strengthen the country's rare-earth magnet supply chain and reduce U.S. reliance on China and other

Beijing, meanwhile, has continued to use restrictions on rare earths and other critical minerals as leverage in negotiations and has opposed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce official who has long participated in U.S.

If China wins the fusion race, it could dominate the future energy market, much as it has with solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and rare earth minerals.

and rare earth metals.

Earlier this month, Trump raised the prospect of trading support for Ukraine for U.S. access to the country's natural resources, particularly rare earth minerals.

However, Ukraine’s rare earths and minerals may not be easy to extract.

minerals, including rare earth elements, among G7 countries and allies.

China, the world's largest rare earth miner and exporter, has spent more than a decade consolidating control over the supply chain of these strategically important metals.

Rare earths and other critical minerals are key materials used in electric vehicles, renewable energy equipment, and defense systems.