America built its economy and its military on the assumption that we would always have access to the materials required to expand our industry and innovate our defenses. For most of the 20th century, that assumption was held. But today, for one class of minerals that touches nearly everything we build, our supply is at risk.
Rare earth elements are the building blocks of modern life and modern defense. They’re in the motor of an electric vehicle, the speaker in a smartphone, and the guidance system of a missile. One F-35 fighter jet requires an estimated 920 pounds of rare earth materials. A Virginia-class submarine needs about 9,200 pounds.
For decades, China has cornered the market. As of 2024, it accounted for 60% of global rare earth mining, 91% of global refining, and 94% of the world’s rare earth magnet manufacturing. Last year, Beijing imposed export-license controls on seven rare earth elements amid an escalating tariff dispute with the United States that saw U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods climb to 145%, and China’s retaliatory tariffs reach 125%, a reminder of how much leverage our adversaries hold over the supply chains we depend on.
Texas holds the key to changing that math. Round Top Mountain in Hudspeth County contains more than a billion tons of ore and 15 of the 17 rare earth elements, including six of the seven elements China specifically restricted. USA Rare Earth is developing Round Top with a projected hundred-year mine life, and in Fort Worth, MP Materials operates Independence, the nation’s first fully integrated mine-to-magnet manufacturing facility. Last year, the Department of Defense invested $400 million to become MP Materials’ largest shareholder, guaranteed the company a 10-year price floor, and committed to buying 100% of the output from a new second U.S. magnet facility. Lastly, in January, the Trump administration announced a $1.6 Billion investment into USA Rare Earth, the clearest signal yet that Washington treats rare earth independence as a national security priority.
And Round Top may only be part of the story. Preliminary surveys in the broader El Paso area indicate additional rare earth potential beyond what’s already mapped, and the General Land Office is working to confirm the full scope. Our agency already has agreements in place with both USA Rare Earth and El Paso Minerals Corporation, which have anchored a genuine, first-of-its-kind Texas “Rare Earth District,” a connected corridor of mining, processing, and manufacturing capable of supplying our defense industry and our economy without a single shipment from Beijing. This is the Texas Engine at work — delivering for our state and protecting our nation.
This matters to Texas families even if they’ve never heard the words neodymium or dysprosium. Texas families will feel the economic surge from this Rare Earth District — it will be felt in savings accounts, pocketbooks, and schools, funneling billions of dollars into the Permanent School Fund. This is one of many ways we can increase revenue without raising taxes, while also guaranteeing our national security. A nation that depends on a strategic competitor for the materials in its weapons systems carries a vulnerability that competitors can exploit at will, and every mine, processing facility, and magnet plant built here means jobs that stay in Texas instead of materials shipped to China and returned to us as finished products at a markup.
WE CUT CHINA’S TRADE DEFICIT IN HALF — SO WHY IS OURS AT A RECORD $1.24 TRILLION?
As Texas Land Commissioner, I manage the land and minerals where much of this promise lies, and I intend to ensure the General Land Office is a partner, not an obstacle, to developing it responsibly while also generating revenue for the schoolchildren of Texas. That means streamlined permitting, protected mineral rights, and a state government that treats mineral independence with the urgency it deserves.
What’s at stake is bigger than what lies beneath Texas soil. By developing our rare earth resources here at home, we can help break China’s grip on the market, strengthen American supply chains, and create opportunities for Texas families.
Dr. Dawn Buckingham made history in 2022, winning a statewide election to become Texas’ first female Land Commissioner. As Land Commissioner, Buckingham is committed to helping Texans after a disaster, supporting Texas energy, ensuring that every child in Texas receives a high-quality public education, serving Texas Veterans, and securing the border to keep our communities safe.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
