The Apple deal comes after the Las Vegas-based rare-earths miner announced a public-private partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) on July 11 to strengthen the country's rare-earth magnet supply chain and reduce U.S. reliance on China and other

If China wins the fusion race, it could dominate the future energy market, much as it has with solar panels, electric vehicle batteries, and rare earth minerals.

Earlier this month, Trump raised the prospect of trading support for Ukraine for U.S. access to the country's natural resources, particularly rare earth minerals.

and rare earth metals.

However, Ukraine’s rare earths and minerals may not be easy to extract.

minerals, including rare earth elements, among G7 countries and allies.

China, the world's largest rare earth miner and exporter, has spent more than a decade consolidating control over the supply chain of these strategically important metals.

A man driving a front loader shifts soil containing rare earth minerals to be loaded at a port in Lianyungang, China, on Sept. 5, 2010.

Beijing started taxing exports of rare earth minerals the following year. Twenty years later, the United States is beholden to Chinese minerals.

Trump said after the exchange that the issues concerning the supplies of the critical rare earth minerals had been resolved. There was no mention of rare earth export controls in the Chinese readouts.

China alone produced 270,000 tons of rare earth minerals in 2024, a 5.9 percent increase from 255,000 tons in 2023.

The alliance aims to incentivize public and private investments in the mining and processing of critical minerals, including rare earth elements, among G7 countries and allies.

On Saturday, Zelenskky wrote in a post on the social platform X that he is still ready to sign the economic deal, which would see his nation exchanging rare earth minerals for continued U.S. military support.

–Australia accord on critical minerals and rare earths still needs to be proven feasible, but the framework for their exploitation has now been put in place.

On July 15, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick confirmed that the resumption of sales is linked to ongoing trade negotiations between the United States and China involving rare-earth minerals, critical components in advanced manufacturing.

President Donald Trump said the United States would end its dependence on China for rare-earth minerals within 18 months under an “emergency program” to build domestic and allied supply chains, describing the initiative as a key national security priority

China also dominates in refining rare earths.

Ten of 11 sectors were reported to have traded lower, while gold and rare earths miners held strong.

A piece of ore containing rare earths is displayed during a tour of a rare earth mineral mine in California on June 29, 2015.

The United States and Ukraine are aiming to sign a key rare earth mineral agreement next week.

Trump previously suggested Ukraine would give the United States $500 billion worth of its rare earths and critical mineral deposits.

'Long Way Off' Australian-based American Rare Earths is among a wave of start-ups in the United States engaged in rare earth and critical mineral mining.

for rare earth elements.

The new tariffs were part of a broader agreement between Trump and Xi, including China suspending its plan to impose stringent export controls on rare earth minerals and resuming the purchase of American soybeans.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed to restart the flow of rare earth minerals and magnets to the United States. "We're very far advanced on the China deal," the president said.

While Trump touts his latest agreements and says that tariffs are “making America great and rich again,” negotiations with Beijing appear to be progressing slowly, particularly over China’s shipment of rare-earth minerals and magnets vital to U.S. defense

He said that rare earths and critical mineral supplies would be a central topic during the French presidency of the G7 this year.

President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struck a $3.1 billion rare earth mineral agreement on Oct. 20.

China stated on May 14 that it was tightening control over its entire supply chain of strategic rare earth minerals, including mining, processing, transportation, and exports.

Beijing added 16 U.S. companies to its export control list and vowed to institute export controls on several types of rare-earth minerals.