US companies are stepping up to cut reliance on China for critical minerals used in key weapons
- U.S. rare earths refiners are expanding to reduce reliance on China for critical minerals used in advanced weapon systems.
- Phoenix Tailings, a refinery in New Hampshire, received a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to increase production.
- The U.S. government is pushing military contractors to speed up production and is imposing stricter rules against sourcing minerals from China.
EXETER, N.H. (AP) — Tucked inside a New Hampshire office park, a small refinery zaps mining waste with electricity to tease out critical minerals needed for key U.S. weapons systems, including missiles used in the Iran war. It can play a part in helping America break the chokehold China has on processing critical minerals, but it will take up to a year and a half to build a new factory as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic production.
The company, Phoenix Tailings, recently got a $500 million loan from the Pentagon to ramp up its work, after starting out eight years ago as a backyard lab seeking a cleaner metal-refining method. It’s just the latest critical minerals company the government has backed.
The task that workers carry out in heat-resistant suits and sealed face masks has become more urgent as the Iran conflict draws down key munitions such as Tomahawk cruise missiles and THAAD interceptors. While the White House is demanding military contractors speed up production, it’s also imposing stricter rules banning them from sourcing critical minerals from China.
美国公司加大力度减少对中国关键矿物的依赖
新罕布什尔州埃克塞特（美联社）——在一个新罕布什尔州的办公园区内，一家小型精炼厂通过电力处理矿业废料，提取出美国武器系统所需的关键矿物，包括用于伊朗战争的导弹。这家工厂在帮助美国打破中国对关键矿物加工的控制方面可能发挥作用，但建设新工厂需要一年半的时间，因为特朗普政府正在推动扩大国内生产。
这家公司Phoenix Tailings最近获得了来自五角大楼的5亿美元贷款，以加快其工作进程，该公司八年前作为一个寻求更清洁金属精炼方法的后院实验室起步。这是政府支持的最新一家关键矿物公司。
工人们穿着耐热服装和密封面具进行的工作变得更加紧迫，因为伊朗冲突减少了诸如战斧巡航导弹和THAAD拦截器等关键弹药的库存。尽管白宫要求军事承包商加快生产，但也对他们从中国采购关键矿物实施了更严格的禁令。