US faces new pressure to build weapons without China’s rare earth magnets

EXETER, N.H. (AP) — A group of young scientists and entrepreneurs started a backyard lab in Boston in 2018 to find a cleaner metal-refining method. Now, they’re at the forefront of efforts to reduce U.S. reliance on China for critical minerals used in weapons systems and high-tech products. The urgency has increased with the Middle East conflict depleting munitions. Phoenix Tailings is among the few U.S. companies processing these minerals and received $500 million from the Pentagon to expand its capacity. The company is based in Woburn, Massachusetts, and has a refinery in Exeter, New Hampshire. The U.S. aims to rebuild a domestic supply chain free from Chinese control, but many capabilities remain concentrated in China.