Trump moves to ensure domestic access to rare earth elements

President Trump this week authorized the use of the Defense Production Act to strengthen the U.S. industrial and supply chain for rare earth elements.

"REEs and their value-added components are used in many critical weapon systems, including precision guided munitions (PGMs), lasers, radar, sonar, night vision systems, jet engines, and armored vehicles," according to a Defense Department statement.

Trump's directives address the domestic production capability for light rare earth elements, heavy rare earth elements, rare earth metals and alloys, neodymium iron boron rare earth permanent magnets and samarium cobalt rare earth permanent magnets.

"The REE supply chain is essential to national defense, and the Department is working with stakeholders to build its strength and resiliency," DOD said.

A recent Commerce Department report said the United States is overly reliant on foreign sources of rare earth minerals.

"The United States is heavily dependent on critical mineral imports," the report states. "If China or Russia were to stop exports to the United States and its allies for a prolonged period -- similar to China's rare earths embargo in 2010 -- an extended supply disruption could cause significant shocks throughout U.S. and foreign critical mineral supply chains."