Overview

• China’s tightened controls now bar germanium, gallium and antimony exports and require detailed end-use disclosures, extending delivery delays to up to two months and driving some prices as much as 60 times higher.
• More than 80,000 parts in US Department of Defense weapons systems depend on minerals now under Chinese export control, highlighting a major vulnerability in defense production.
• In July the Pentagon invested $400 million for a 15 percent stake in MP Materials and awarded grants to expand domestic germanium and antimony output under emergency authorities.
• Private firms such as USA Rare Earth have raised over $170 million for US magnet processing lines and are seeking additional capital to build non-Chinese refining capacity.
• US law mandates phasing out Chinese-sourced rare earth magnets by 2027, prompting multilateral partnerships under the Defense Production Act to diversify critical mineral supply chains.