Dear President Trump: Sinter, Baby, Sinter
President Trump, your resonant call of “Drill, Baby, Drill” has galvanized discourse on energy independence, yet a parallel opportunity beckons in the rare earth sector – one equally vital to economic and strategic imperatives.
The United States is host to Mountain Pass, the world’s second most productive rare earth mine, yielding over 10% of global supply in recent years.
As such, the critical bottleneck today lies not in extraction but in downstream processing – specifically, the production of rare earth metals and permanent magnets. It is here that a new directive, “Sinter, Baby, Sinter,” could redefine America’s position in the global supply chain.
American firms are mobilizing
The US imports approximately 7,500 tonnes of sintered rare earth permanent magnets annually from China, which commands 90% of global production. This dependency underpins fast-growing industries – electric vehicles, robotics, drones and defense – where demand is projected to potentially outgrow supplies by 2030.
Europe, importing over 22,000 tonnes yearly from China, shares a parallel vulnerability and an urgent desire to diversify. Herein lies an extraordinary opportunity for US industry to capitalize on both domestic needs and international markets.
American firms are mobilizing. MP Materials and Noveon Magnetics have launched magnet production in Texas. eVAC Magnetics is building a factory in South Carolina and USA Rare Earth in Oklahoma.
These efforts are commendable, offering your administration a running start, but more capacity is needed long-term to fully reduce reliance on China and support demand growth from US industries. Europe, lacking sufficient domestic magnet production, represents an additional market ripe for penetration by US magnet manufacturers.
It’s a matter of national resilience
The challenge is clear: the US extracts rare earths in abundance but its high reliance on magnet imports from China cedes value and security.
Streamlining permitting for metals and magnet production – currently a multi-year ordeal – coupled with strategic incentives like production credits would accelerate growth of domestic capacity and bolster competitiveness against China’s subsidized dominance.
This is not merely an economic issue; it is a matter of national resilience. Every imported magnet underscores a strategic liability.
President Trump, your administration’s proven ability to expedite industrial priorities positions the US to lead on this issue. By championing investment in rare earth metals and sintered magnet production, the nation can rapidly forge a robust mine-to-magnet ecosystem.
This would secure supply chains, create high-value jobs, and establish the US as a counterweight to China’s monopoly, while helping meet Europe’s pressing demand.
The global rare earth landscape is shifting; with decisive action, America can shape its future.
Sinter, Baby, Sinter.
Join us at Rare Earth Mines, Magnets & Motors 2025
Join us in Toronto in September 2025 for Rare Earth Mines, Magnets & Motors 2025 where we’ll explore this topic further with leading industry experts.
The two-day event will bring together business and technical leaders from across the global mine-to-OEM supply chain for high caliber discussions and networking at a 5-star venue.
Key themes of this year’s conference will include robotics, automation, advanced air mobility, and the emerging mine-to-magnet supply chain coming together upstream.
Special guest: Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple
More information: www.adamasevent.com
