https://www.scmp.com/rss/523898/feed The latest news and top stories on MP Materials. A Nevada-based entity in the rare earths mining and processing sector, MP Materials specialises in producing rare earth concentrates, metals and neodymium magnets. It primarily serves the electric vehicle, robotics, wind energy, defence and aerospace industries and is known for operating the Mountain Pass mine. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Laura Zhou Laura Zhou The Trump administration’s strategic interest in rare earths is pushing the US towards more pragmatic diplomacy as it seeks to rebuild critical mineral supply chains without China, according to observers. As a result, there had been cooperation with other countries on resource projects even when broader political ties were strained, they said, adding that Beijing’s dominance in the resources appeared too strong to break soon. One example is the Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project in South Africa,... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352009/minerals-over-ideology-us-embraces-pragmatic-diplomacy-break-chinas-rare-earth-grip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3352009/minerals-over-ideology-us-embraces-pragmatic-diplomacy-break-chinas-rare-earth-grip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:00:22 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage The route to challenging China’s supremacy in rare earth minerals lies in using artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing to create synthetic substitutes or alloys, according to a prominent American expert in AI. Jack Hidary, CEO of SandboxAQ, an AI and quantum technology Alphabet spin-off, said these technologies could cut the time required to secure critical materials to just a few years. This could bypass the traditional 10 to 20 years needed to bring a new mine online while also... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343609/could-us-unlock-chinas-rare-earths-grip-ai-and-quantum-computing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343609/could-us-unlock-chinas-rare-earths-grip-ai-and-quantum-computing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:00:08 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong Despite the United States pushing to acquire Greenland, geological and technical constraints have so far prevented any country – including China – from successfully extracting and processing one of the Danish territory’s main critical minerals, a New York-based mining investor said. “In the Arctic, one of the popular – the sort of commonly occurring mineral – is called eudialyte,” said Tomasz Nadrowski, portfolio manager at Amvest Terraden, an investment and corporate finance firm specialising... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341550/why-greenlands-rare-earth-riches-cannot-end-us-dependence-chinas-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3341550/why-greenlands-rare-earth-riches-cannot-end-us-dependence-chinas-minerals?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 15:00:10 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press A bipartisan group of lawmakers has proposed creating a new agency with US$2.5 billion to spur production of rare earths and the other critical minerals, while the Trump administration has already taken aggressive actions to break China’s grip on the market for these materials that are crucial to hi-tech products, including mobile phones, electric vehicles, jet fighters and missiles. It is too early to tell how the bill, if passed, could align with the White House’s policy but whatever the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340072/us-lawmakers-propose-us25-billion-agency-boost-production-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340072/us-lawmakers-propose-us25-billion-agency-boost-production-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 21:15:05 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang The US Supreme Court lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s tariff war and the recent budget fight on Capitol Hill might have dragged down – if not sunk – one of Washington’s proposed tools to spearhead its strategic competition with China. Ten months after Trump’s executive order authorising the creation of the nation’s first-ever sovereign wealth fund (SWF), there are still few clues about how it can be funded, structured and managed, leaving a giant question mark on whether it could run... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3334968/why-trumps-sovereign-wealth-fund-brings-high-stakes-and-serious-risks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3334968/why-trumps-sovereign-wealth-fund-brings-high-stakes-and-serious-risks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:14:37 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The US is poised to supply Saudi Arabia with its most advanced F-35 stealth fighter jets, a move that analysts say reflects a new era of Middle East policy in which countering Chinese influence is fast becoming as important for Washington as maintaining Israeli military superiority. It would make Saudi Arabia only the second country in the region, after Israel, to operate the fifth-generation jet. US President Donald Trump announced the decision following a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s visiting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333936/china-factor-behind-trumps-sale-f-35s-saudi-arabia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333936/china-factor-behind-trumps-sale-f-35s-saudi-arabia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 24 Nov 2025 09:30:13 +0000 Frank Tang Frank Tang US lawmakers on Wednesday called for a change in Washington’s strategy to evade China’s chokehold on rare earth mineral supplies, arguing that new approaches are needed in parallel with President Donald Trump’s efforts to speed up domestic production. Proposals to dismantle the chokepoint – including new technologies and development of components that do not require the critical minerals as inputs – were presented during a hearing of the US House Select Committee on China. The suggestions came... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333462/us-lawmakers-press-new-tactics-challenge-chinas-grip-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3333462/us-lawmakers-press-new-tactics-challenge-chinas-grip-rare-earths?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:33:24 +0000 Reuters Reuters Australia is formulating a plan for its critical minerals reserve that will focus on sales of future production, limiting the need for a physical stockpile, industry sources said, as Australian and US leaders prepare to meet next week. Australia’s critical minerals task force hosted a call last week with miners and project developers across a range of metals as it steps up industry consultations, according to four sources familiar with the matter. The task force is seeking by the end of the year... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3328807/australia-rushes-minerals-plan-albanese-trump-meet-counter-chinas-rare-earths-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/australasia/article/3328807/australia-rushes-minerals-plan-albanese-trump-meet-counter-chinas-rare-earths-curbs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:50:30 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat As China consolidates its near-monopoly status in critical minerals and rare earth elements – essential raw materials for the production of numerous high-value items in the technology and defence sectors – Washington’s proposed US$5 billion fund to secure its access to these supply chains may come too late to close the gap, analysts said. Bloomberg reported last week that the United States is planning to allocate billions in pursuit of a larger share of these minerals’ global supply, following a... https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3326696/rumoured-us-rare-earth-fund-coming-too-late-catch-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3326696/rumoured-us-rare-earth-fund-coming-too-late-catch-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 13:30:09 +0000 Mia Nurmamat Mia Nurmamat China’s exports of rare earth permanent magnets to the United States fell in August despite total shipments rising on the back of quicker approvals from Beijing. China shipped 6,146 tonnes of permanent magnets last month, up 10.2 per cent month on month and 15.4 per cent year on year, according to official customs data. That marked the highest monthly total since January, when exports reached 6,357 tonnes. The US, China’s second-largest buyer, imported 590 tonnes in August, down 5 per cent from... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326411/chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-decline-amid-trade-war-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326411/chinas-rare-earth-magnet-exports-us-decline-amid-trade-war-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 13:00:14 +0000 Kandy Wong Kandy Wong The United States is scrambling to reduce its dependence on rare earths from China, with the Pentagon splashing out US$400 million on Thursday to become the largest shareholder in American miner MP Materials. While some say the move will help wean the US off the Chinese supply, a senior American industry executive has warned that a variety of hurdles face US and European mining efforts – from securing the necessary midstream technology to obtaining government permits for what can be a highly... https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3317858/rare-earth-realisation-us-must-tackle-tech-pollution-despite-pentagon-move-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/global-economy/article/3317858/rare-earth-realisation-us-must-tackle-tech-pollution-despite-pentagon-move-ceo-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2025 09:00:14 +0000 Eric Ng Eric Ng China’s halt on rare earth exports will fuel efforts to build alternative production capacity overseas despite technical and financial challenges, according to REalloys, an American firm that is involved in the industry. But the buildout would be costly and protracted due to technical challenges and could require subsidies and tariffs to stave off competition from Chinese products, which have dominated the global market for nearly three decades, analysts said. “China has done a remarkable job at... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3316153/chinas-rare-earth-curbs-spur-overseas-projects-reduce-reliance-says-us-developer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3316153/chinas-rare-earth-curbs-spur-overseas-projects-reduce-reliance-says-us-developer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jun 2025 01:30:10 +0000