West scrambles to fill heavy rare earth gap as China rivalry deepens

By Eric Onstad

LONDON (Reuters) -The West’s push to build a home-grown magnets supply chain to reduce its reliance on China – led by massive U.S. backing for Nevada-based MP Materials – is running into a critical problem: the scarcity of so-called heavy rare earth elements.

The United States and allies have been scrambling to create an alternative supply chain to make super-strong rare earth magnets, which are vital components in everything from defence technology and electric vehicles, to electronics and wind turbines.

MP Materials aims to integrate the entire supply chain from mining rare earths to magnet production and has ambitious plans to produce magnets within years, buoyed by a July deal comprising billions of dollars in U.S. government support.

It trumpeted its success earlier