Two New U.S. Mining Projects Could Cut Our Dependence on China

My latest at IWF.

Rare Earth Elements via Grok

On July 3rd, Brook Mine in Wyoming became the first new rare earth element (REE) mine to open in the U.S. in 70 years.

“This is a monumental step towards unleashing the full potential of American energy by utilizing the abundant resources we have right here at home,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an X post last Friday.

Brook Mine, owned by Kentucky-based Ramaco Resources, which specializes in metallurgical coal, is a $2 million coal mine that holds $37 billion in REE treasures, reported the Wall Street Journal. Ramaco made the rare earth element deposit discovery in May 2023. Per the Brook Mine Rare Earth Project Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) report, the mine spans over 15,800 acres—with 4,500 acres deemed suitable for mining as of 2020. The company also reports that there are 1.7 million tons of oxide ore of proved mineral (CM) reserves, or an extractable deposit with 90% geological and economic certainty, on the 4,500-acre site.

By 2029, the new mine is expected to produce 1,242 tons of rare earth oxides (REO)—including 565 metric tons (or roughly 40% of future production) of REOs and critical minerals such as neodymium (Nd), praseodymium (Pr), dysprosium (Dy), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), terbium (Tb), and scandium (Sc).

Brook Mine won’t be the only mine needed to help the U.S. wean itself off of China. Last week, another minerals deal was announced between MP Minerals and the Department of Defense (DOD) to expand the capacity of the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine in California. Mountain Pass, for context, is the sole operating rare earth elements mine in the U.S today. The project, known as the 10X Facility, will be completed by 2028 and could help boost REE manufacturing capacity to “an estimated 10,000 metric tons.”

These two mining announcements are greatly aligned with the Trump administration’s March 20th, 2025, executive order on “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production” to improve domestic mining operations and cut reliance on bad actors like China. As of this writing, China still maintains a monopoly on rare earth elements and critical minerals. It currently owns 70% of the world’s REE deposits and 90% of processing operations, respectively.

There are 17 rare earth elements in existence today. They are a subset of critical minerals—components needed for technology, defense, and clean energy. REEs, however, aren’t rare, despite what their name suggests. These elements are just difficult to procure and are typically discovered in small quantities.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the U.S. annually imports 10,000 tons of rare earth oxides from overseas, with 70% of imports originating from China. These two mining projects alone, if scaled up, can become mineral independent while strengthening our national security interests.

To learn more about mining, go HERE.

Originally posted at IWF.org

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