The U.S. is opening its first new Wyoming coal mine in decades to extract both coal and critical rare earth metals, inching the country closer to the Trump administration’s energy independence goals.

Nintendo’s Switch 2 videogame machine uses a rare-earth magnet to attach its hand-held controllers to the main console, according to a teardown.

Further bolstering domestic priorities, state-run IREL (India) Limited was directed in June 2025 to suspend a 13-year-old export agreement with Japan, redirecting rare earth supplies for local use to reduce reliance on Chinese imports. Also Read: '2026 Election Will Be Fought To Form A BJP-Led NDA Government': Amit Shah In Kerala

A diplomatic breakthrough with China is the only short-term fix for easing the shortage of rare-earth magnets, a top executive at one of the largest auto components maker said, as the exports curbs by the East Asian nation chokes the production of electric vehicles.

The European Parliament condemned China on Thursday over its export restrictions on rare earths and insisted the European Union must reject any attempts by Beijing to use the restrictions to force concessions from the bloc.

China Northern Rare Earth and Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Union — two of China's top rare earth producers — announced a price hike for third-quarter 2025 rare earth concentrates to CNY19,109 (approx.

China signaled it would approve the export of rare earth minerals in a statement Friday hours after White House officials said that the US and China had signed a trade agreement to work out tensions linked to US access to the key material.

A drastic increase in unregulated production of rare earth minerals in Myanmar is causing serious environmental concerns downriver in Thailand, as China's influence in the sector looms large.