Research Finds 59% of 106 Critical Minerals Manufacturers at Early Readiness Stages-

Highlights

• XTRIUM's October 2026 study of 106 manufacturers found a median readiness score of just 32 out of 100 for critical minerals supply-chain preparedness.
• 65 manufacturers scored below 50 on both supplier visibility and alternative sourcing, with a 0.73 correlation indicating these weaknesses cluster together.
• Defense primes averaged only 25/100 and Tier 1 suppliers 22/100, raising alarms ahead of the January 2027 DFARS regulatory deadline.
• Rare earth and magnet manufacturers led all sectors at 52/100, yet no company reached XTRIUM's Optimize category and only one reached Monitor.
• REEx warns that strategic value depends on verified deliverability across separation, refining, and qualification—not resource announcements alone.