Highlights

• JS Link America Inc. will invest $223 million in a permanent magnet plant in Columbus, Georgia.
• The investment is expected to create over 520 jobs.
• The plant will have an annual capacity of 3,000 tons.
• The project aims to challenge China's dominance in rare earth magnet manufacturing.
• This represents a strategic move to enhance U.S. supply chain resilience in critical minerals and technology sectors.

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Governor Brian Kemp announced that Korean firm JS Link America Inc. will invest $223 million to build a permanent magnet plant in Columbus, Georgia, promising more than 520 jobs and 3,000 tons of annual capacity by 2027. On paper, this looks like a breakthrough for U.S. supply chain resilience. But how much here is fact—and how much is aspirational flourish?

Solid Ground: What Holds Up

The core facts are verifiable: JS Link is indeed a listed Korean company covered in multiple articles at Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx) with a magnet business alongside its biotech roots. Its Yesan, Korea facility is nearing completion, giving credibility to claims of real technical capacity. The Georgia plant’s scale—3,000 tons annually—is substantial by Western standards, though still a fraction of China’s dominant output. The location at Muscogee Technology Park and the 2027 start date are consistent with public filings and state announcements.

The Stretch: From Biotech to Magnets

The press release leans hard on JS Link’s biotech origin story. While it’s true the firm has diversified, portraying it as a “world-class rare earth magnet technology leader” stretches credibility. Investors should note: magnet production is capital- and expertise-intensive. JS Link is a newcomer competing against entrenched Chinese, Japanese, and European players.

Framing the Narrative

The release repeatedly frames this as a win for “Western-only” or ex-China supply chains. While politically attractive, the reality is always a little messier: sourcing rare earth oxides still hinges on separation capacity—largely in China, as we have chronicled. Unless JS Link secures reliable non-Chinese feedstock (a detail not addressed), this plant may still be tied indirectly to China. The bias here is clear: portraying the facility as a full end-to-end Western chain when procurement pathways remain undefined.

Why This Matters

Speculative or not, the announcement is notable. If realized, Columbus would host one of the largest ex-China permanent magnet plants in the U.S., a direct counter to national security concerns over EVs, defense systems, and wind energy. Even partial success puts pressure on Chinese dominance and signals Korea’s growing role as a U.S. ally in critical minerals.

Citation: Governor Brian Kemp, Press Release, September 3, 2025.

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