US rare earths produced by companies backed by the Trump administration are being sold to Japan and South Korea. Despite the push to develop a domestic supply chain, American demand has yet to materialize.
The rare earths products are being sold to companies in Asia, where magnet manufacturing is more established than in the US.
The metals are crucial to 21st-century technology, used in manufacturing everything from weapons guidance systems to electric vehicle batteries. China's control over global supplies has become a national security concern in the US and other Western nations.
