The Pentagon's Rare-Earth Blind Spot Runs Deeper Than the Mine

Highlights

• China accounted for roughly 94% of global sintered permanent-magnet production in 2024 and ~90% of magnet rare-earth refining.
• Lockheed Martin found prohibited Chinese-made magnets in the F-35 supply chain in 2023 and 2024, pausing manufacturing for several months.
• Chinese-origin rare earths were also documented in DDG-51 and M1A2 Abrams supply chains, exposing deep multi-tier vulnerabilities.
• DoD sourcing restrictions covering the full rare-earth supply chain—from mining through finished magnets—take effect January 1, 2027.
• GAO found DoD often lacks visibility into lower supply-chain tiers to determine where critical magnets and metals originate.