HOUSTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Defense has reversed its decision to fund two projects to process rare earth minerals for military weapons, one of which has controversial ties to China, according to three sources and a government document seen by Reuters.
Australia’s Lynas Corp
The Pentagon decision is a step backward for President Donald Trump’s plan to redevelop the U.S. rare earths supply chain and reduce reliance on China, the world’s largest producer of the strategic minerals used to build a range of weapons.
(Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; additional reporting by Melanie Burton in Melbourne; Editing by Amran Abocar and Chizu Nomiyama)