United States tech giant Apple announced on Tuesday that it has agreed to purchase $500 million worth of rare earth magnets from American company MP Materials, after the Defense Department became the company&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/defense-department-becomes-largest-shareholder-of-company-that-owns-americas-lone-rare-earth-mine">largest shareholder</a> last week.
Apple said that it will rely on MP Materials&#8217; Fort Worth, Texas, facility to provide it with rare earth magnets that are used in important components of iPhones, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-cpi-inflation-tariffs-07-15-2025/card/apple-strikes-500-million-deal-to-buy-rare-earths-from-u-s-supplier-wA62cPCKdBo26wFi9h03">reported</a>. Apple also needs rare earth magnets for audio equipment and microphones in other products.
MP Materials <a href="https://mpmaterials.com/news/mp-materials-and-apple-announce-500-million-partnership-to-produce-recycled-rare-earth-magnets-in-the-united-states">said</a> that the deal with Apple means it &#8220;will significantly expand the capacity of its Fort Worth magnetics facility,&#8221; adding that &#8220;Magnet shipments are expected to begin in 2027 and ramp up to support hundreds of millions of Apple devices.&#8221;
“We are proud to partner with Apple to launch MP’s recycling platform and scale up our magnetics business,” said James Litinsky, Founder, Chairman and CEO of MP Materials. “This collaboration deepens our vertical integration, strengthens supply chain resilience, and reinforces America’s industrial capacity at a pivotal moment.”
MP Materials&#8217; <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=mp+materials+stock&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;oq=mp+materials+stock&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqFAgAEEUYOxhGGIMBGPoBGLEDGIAEMhQIABBFGDsYRhiDARj6ARixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCDM1MTFqMGo3qAIAsAIA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">stock</a> reached an all-time high on Tuesday following the deal with Apple, jumping 28% and surpassing $62 per share as of Tuesday morning. Apple stock was also up <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+stock&amp;sca_esv=4aa233782b511ba8&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;ei=MWp2aOKTIIqY5OMPn6WImAc&amp;ved=0ahUKEwii8Ijvjb-OAxUKDHkGHZ8SAnMQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=apple+stock&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiC2FwcGxlIHN0b2NrMhUQABiABBixAxhDGIMBGIoFGEYY-gEyEBAAGIAEGLEDGEMYgwEYigUyCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBMgoQABiABBhDGIoFMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMiEQABiABBixAxhDGIMBGIoFGEYY-gEYlwUYjAUY3QTYAQFI_ewBUIsEWOcVcAV4AZABAJgBjQGgAe8IqgEDOS4zuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIRoAKlCcICChAAGLADGNYEGEfCAg0QABiABBiwAxhDGIoFwgIQEC4YgAQY0QMYQxjHARiKBcICDhAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGMcBwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAhMQLhiABBixAxjRAxhDGMcBGIoFwgILEC4YgAQYsQMY5QTCAg4QLhiABBiSAxjHARivAcICCBAAGIAEGMkDwgIOEC4YgAQYxwEYjgUYrwHCAgcQABiABBgKwgIGEAAYFhgewgILEAAYgAQYhgMYigWYAwCIBgGQBgq6BgYIARABGBOSBwQxNC4zoAeCfbIHAzkuM7gHlAnCBwYwLjEyLjXIBy4&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">0.5%</a> at the time this article was published.
The agreement between Apple and MP Materials marks yet another positive economic and national security development for President Donald Trump as the White House pushes to break free from reliance on China for rare earth minerals. China currently produces around 60% of the world’s rare earths and refines nearly 90%, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-chinas-ban-rare-earths-processing-technology-exports-means">according</a> to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For decades, MP Materials has operated the only rare earth mine in the United States, which is located in Mountain Pass, California, 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas. Last week, the Trump administration <a href="https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/07/11/first-u-s-rare-earth-mine-in-70-years-opens-in-wyoming/">announced</a> the grand opening of the country&#8217;s second rare earth mine in Wyoming, where workers at the Brook Mine, owned by Ramaco Resources, Inc., will extract rare earth materials directly from coal.
Shortly after starting his second term, President Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-immediate-action-to-increase-american-mineral-production/">said</a> that he wants to make the United States “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”
After the Pentagon agreed to buy $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials, the company said it would soon begin construction on a “second domestic magnet manufacturing facility (the ’10X Facility’) at a soon-to-be-chosen location to serve both defense and commercial customers.”

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The Pentagon agreed to purchase $400 million of preferred stock in MP Materials, which operates the only rare earth minerals mine in the United States, the company announced on Thursday.
The mine, located in Mountain Pass, California — 60 miles southwest of Las Vegas — extracts rare earth minerals that are vital for the U.S. military, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/10/pentagon-to-become-largest-shareholder-in-rare-earth-magnet-maker-mp-materials.html">reported</a>. The Defense Department&#8217;s move is part of the Trump administration&#8217;s plan to break its dependence on China for rare earths, a goal that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL1kagSsIk8">discussed</a> in April.
“This initiative marks a decisive action by the Trump administration to accelerate American supply chain independence,” <a href="https://investors.mpmaterials.com/investor-news/news-details/2025/MP-Materials-Announces-Transformational-Public-Private-Partnership-with-the-Department-of-Defense-to-Accelerate-U-S--Rare-Earth-Magnet-Independence/default.aspx">said</a> James Litinsky, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of MP Materials. “We are proud to enter into this transformational public-private partnership and are deeply grateful to President Trump, our partners at the Pentagon, and our employees, customers and stakeholders for their unwavering support and dedication.”
Rare earths are used to produce magnets that are incorporated into critical U.S. military weapons systems, including those for drones, submarines, and the F-35 fighter jet, CNBC reported. Shortly after taking office, Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-takes-immediate-action-to-increase-american-mineral-production/">signed</a> an executive order to ramp up American rare earth mining, bemoaning the fact that 70% of the United States&#8217; imports of rare earths come from China. Trump stated that he wants to make the United States “the leading producer and processor of non-fuel minerals, including rare earth minerals.”
China currently produces around 60% of the world&#8217;s rare earths and refines nearly 90%, <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/what-chinas-ban-rare-earths-processing-technology-exports-means">according</a> to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Rare earth minerals are also used to manufacture electronics, including smartphones and laptops, as well as electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies. After Trump levied tariffs on China, the communist country halted shipments of rare earth minerals to the United States. The administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-says-deal-related-trade-was-signed-with-china-wednesday-2025-06-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> late last month that it had reached an agreement with China to restart rare earth imports.
MP Materials&#8217; agreement with the Pentagon will result in the construction of the company&#8217;s &#8220;second domestic magnet manufacturing facility (the &#8217;10X Facility&#8217;) at a soon-to-be-chosen location to serve both defense and commercial customers.&#8221; The &#8220;10X Facility&#8221; is expected to be completed in 2028, which will boost MP Materials&#8217; manufacturing capacity to 10,000 metric tons, according to the company. The Pentagon&#8217;s agreement with MP Materials is for 10 years and establishes &#8220;a price floor commitment&#8221; to ensure that the company is protected from &#8220;non-market forces.&#8221;
Shares of MP Materials <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=mp+materials+stock&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;oq=mp+materials+stock&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgAEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyDQgBEAAYgwEYsQMYgAQyBwgCEAAYgAQyBwgDEAAYgAQyBwgEEAAYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgATSAQgyOTIxajBqN6gCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">jumped</a> nearly 50% on Thursday, hitting $44 as of Thursday morning. The company&#8217;s all-time high was $56.54, reached on April 1, 2022.
News of the agreement comes shortly after Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tom-cotton-introduces-bill-to-break-chinas-monopoly-on-rare-earth-minerals-for-u-s-defense">introduced</a> a bill to expedite the extraction of rare earth elements in the United States, aiming to better protect America&#8217;s national security.
“Current environmental laws put our readiness to counter Communist China at risk and waste taxpayer dollars on projects that stall out and die on the vine,” Cotton <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republican-moves-give-u-s-edge-china-harvesting-minerals-weapons-systems">told</a> Fox News Digital. “This bill will create jobs, better arm and prepare our soldiers, and spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently.”

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Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton, who has been at the forefront of efforts to protect the United States from Communist China, is introducing a bill that would expedite the harvesting of minerals needed for the nation’s defense and reduce the nation’s dependence on China.
The bill, titled the Necessary Environmental Exemptions for Defense Act, would make it easier for mining activities and permit the Pentagon to “operate with maximum agility and efficiency to ensure it is prepared to deter and, if necessary, fight and win a conflict with the Chinese Communist Party,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-republican-moves-give-u-s-edge-china-harvesting-minerals-weapons-systems">reported</a>.
“Currently, China produces roughly 60% of the world&#8217;s critical mineral supply, and processes up to 90%,” Fox News noted.
The group of rare earths is comprised of “17 elements composed of scandium,  yttrium, and the lanthanides,” James B. Hedrick of the US Geological Survey <a href="https://uscriticalmaterials.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Rare-Earths-in-Selected-Defense-Applications.pdf">noted</a>. The lanthanides include lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, and lutetium.
“On April 4, China’s Ministry of Commerce imposed export restrictions on seven rare earth elements (REEs) and magnets used in the defense, energy, and automotive sectors in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff increases on Chinese products,” the Center for Strategic and International Studies <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/consequences-chinas-new-rare-earths-export-restrictions">reported</a>. “The restrictions apply to seven medium and heavy rare earths: samarium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, lutetium, scandium, and yttrium. The United States is particularly vulnerable for these supply chains. Until 2023, China accounted for 99 percent of global heavy REEs processing, with only minimal output from a refinery in Vietnam. However, that facility has been shut down for the past year due to a tax dispute, effectively giving China a monopoly over supply.”
“Current environmental laws put our readiness to counter Communist China at risk and waste taxpayer dollars on projects that stall out and die on the vine,&#8221; Cotton told Fox News Digital. &#8220;This bill will create jobs, better arm and prepare our soldiers, and spend taxpayer dollars more efficiently.&#8221;
Cotton’s bill would permit the administration to circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act and Federal Water Pollution Control Act; he stated that they “frequently and unnecessarily delay” the military’s readiness without “substantial benefit to the environment or protected species.”
Cotton suggested as far back as January 30, 2020, that the COVID-19 virus might have come from Wuhan, prompting harsh criticisms from leftists. Speaking at a Senate Armed Services Hearing, he asserted, &#8220;I want to talk about the biggest and most important story in the world. The Wuhan coronavirus. This coronavirus is a catastrophe on the scale of Chernobyl for China. But actually, it’s probably worse than Chernobyl, which was localized in its effect. The coronavirus could result in a global pandemic. While you were all sleeping overnight, the number of diagnosed cases in China increased by 30%. Let me be clear: that’s not new cases; that is just newly-admitted cases. It is probably several orders of magnitude higher than that.”
“We still don’t know where coronavirus originated,” Cotton said. “Could have been a market, a farm, a food processing company. I would note that Wuhan has China’s only biosafety level-four super laboratory that works with the world’s most deadly pathogens to include, yes, coronavirus.”
In March 2020, Cotton <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-tom-cotton-on-china-i-have-never-trusted-a-communist-and-i-never-will-trust-a-communist">said</a> bluntly, “I have never trusted a Communist and I never will trust a Communist. And that&#8217;s who runs China — the Chinese Communist Party.”
A 2019 <a href="https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Portals/7/military-review/Archives/English/SO-19/Sec-Def-extract.pdf">Pentagon report</a> stated:
<blockquote>
China’s military modernization also targets capabilities with the potential to degrade core U.S. operational and technological advantages. China uses a variety of methods to acquire foreign military and dual-use technologies, including targeted foreign direct investment, cyber theft, and exploitation of private Chinese nationals’ access to these technologies, as well as harnessing its intelligence services, computer intrusions, and other illicit approaches. In 2018, Chinese efforts to acquire sensitive, dual-use, or military-grade equipment from the United States included dynamic random access memory, aviation technologies, and anti- submarine warfare technologies.
</blockquote>

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Apple Agrees To $500M Deal To Buy Rare Earths From American Company, Reduce China Dependence

Defense Department Becomes Largest Shareholder Of Company That Owns America’s Lone Rare Earth Mine

Tom Cotton Introduces Bill To Break China’s Monopoly On Rare Earth Minerals For U.S. Defense