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

A New Hampshire-based company is employing electrolysis to extract critical elements from mining waste, highlighting a domestic effort to reduce reliance on Chinese rare earth magnets for military production. The initiative underscores the national security importance of securing independent supply chains for materials essential to defense manufacturing.

The project reflects ongoing pressure on the United States to develop internal capabilities for producing weapons components. By processing stored mining waste, the facility aims to provide a domestic source for critical elements that are currently subject to international supply chain vulnerabilities.