There’s only one rare-earth mine and it’s in the U.S., specifically in the Mojave Desert of California. In 2024, this mine achieved a historic record: it produced 45,000 tons of rare-earth oxides, which is the largest amount in the entire history of the country. These rare-earth are essential minerals that are used for making technological products we all use on our daily life, such as smartphones, electric vehicles, wind turbines, and military equipment, among many. So, let’s see why this achievement is so important for the technological future of the U.S.
What are the rare-earth elements?
They are very special minerals found inside natural rocks. Despite its name, they are not really rare, but they are really difficult to extract and process. This is why only a few places in the world can produce them in large amounts.
These minerals are used to make very powerful magnets, which are important for:
- Electric vehicles.
- Smartphones.
- Wind turbines.
- Military equipment, like fighter jets.
Basically, without them a great part of modern technology wouldn’t work.
The U.S. and these minerals
To obtain these rare-earth elements the U.S. has depended mainly on China for many years, which has several risks:
- It can weaken supply chains.
- It can harm the U.S. economy.
- It can affect national security.
- It can put important technology at risk.
As the world becomes more technological, the need for rare-earth elements increases. So, depending on other countries becomes even riskier.
The U.S. mine holding a record
The Mountain Pass mine, located in California, is the only rare-earth mine in the entire U.S. This mine has been the only source of these minerals for years. In 2024, produced 45,000 tons of rare-earth oxides, which is very important because:
- It proves the U.S. can cover its own demand.
- It reduces the dependency on other countries.
- It boosts the country’s economy.
- It strengthens the country’s safety.
- It allows the production of technological innovation in the country.
As you can see, this record is more than a figure, it represents a huge step for the U.S. and tis capacity to control its most strategic resources.
Importance of this amount
To understand how important this record is, you have to imagine that these 45,000 tons become:
- Thousands of electric vehicles.
- Millions of smartphones.
- Wind turbines to generate clean energy.
- High level technology equipment.
What’s more, this achievement also has benefits for nearby communities to the mine because it creates new jobs, business opportunities, and economic growth.
The future
Even though the mine advances very well, there are still some important challenges to deal with:
- Strict regulations.
- Global competition.
- Limited refining capacity within the U.S.
One of the biggest problems is that great part of the extracted material must be still sent to other countries to be refined. This means that, although the U.S. produces the rare-earth elements, the country doesn’t control the entire process yet.
But there’s hope since the U.S. government, the Department of Defense, and private companies are working together to build a stronger and more secure rare-earth system. For example, the Department of Defense and private companies are already investing in Mountain Pass Mine and more refining capacity inside the U.S.
So…
As you have read, this achievement proves the United States can innovate, reclaim important resources, and lead the development of modern technologies. The success of this mine shows that America is ready to build a safer, stronger, and more independent future—one where it controls the materials that power everything from phones to clean energy to national defense. The country has high hopes when it comes to entirely control this extracting process, we’ll see if all the efforts have a positive result.