Industry
US rare earths flow to Asia as domestic demand is slow to emerge
The U.S. operates only one active rare earth mine at Mountain Pass, California, which produced approximately 45,000 tons of rare earth oxide concentrate in 2024, but the ore is still mostly shipped to
The U.S. operates only one active rare earth mine at Mountain Pass, California, which produced approximately 45,000 tons of rare earth oxide concentrate in 2024, but the ore is still mostly shipped to China for final processing. Asia-Pacific dominated the rare earth elements market with 86.29% share in 2025 , reflecting how U.S.-extracted rare earths flow to Asian markets rather than developing domestic industrial capacity. Countries worldwide are scrambling to develop local rare earth element supply chains, but even with rising investments, most current pipelines are unlikely to meet near-term demand.
Source: Ars Technica | 2026-07-08