US Could End China Dependency on Rare Earths Within 18 Months, Trump Says

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to meet with soldiers and servicemen at the USS George Washington at the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka base in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, on Oct. 28, 2025. Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

President Donald Trump has said that the United States would end its dependence on China for rare-earth minerals within 18 months under an “emergency program” to build domestic and allied supply chains, describing the initiative as a key national security priority following Beijing’s recent export restrictions.

In a Nov. 2 interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Trump said his administration’s new rare-earth plan would ensure that the United States can meet all its industrial and defense needs in less than two years, citing new partnerships with Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.