Energy Secretary Chris Wright claimed the venture will "break dependence on China" as Trump pushes ahead with fossil fuel projects

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright was in Ranchester, Wyoming, on Friday for the ribbon cutting to open the first U.S. rare earth mine in 70 years.

They're in the headlines every week—critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite and the rare earth elements essential for high-technology and national security applications.

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

United States energy secretary Chris Wright joined Wyoming's top officials on Friday, for what they called a historic day for rare earth mineral exploration.

Many modern devices—from cellphones and computers to electric vehicles and wind turbines—rely on strong magnets made from types of minerals called rare earths. As the systems and infrastructure used in daily life have turned digital and the United States has moved toward renewable energy,

West Bengal’s Purulia and Assam’s Karbi Anglong districts move closer to rare earth mining as India seeks to cut dependence on China-dominated global supply chains.

What does rare earth elements actually mean? Find out inside PCMag's comprehensive tech and computer-related encyclopedia.

Antarctic research reveals how rare earth elements move underground through freeze-thaw cycles in desert environments.

US reciprocal tariff for Indonesia politically motivated, they said. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.