US Could End Dependency on Chinese Rare Earths Within 18 Months, Trump Says

President Donald Trump gestures as he boards Air Force One before traveling to South Korea, at Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Oct. 29, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump said the United States would end its dependence on China for rare-earth minerals within 18 months under an “emergency program” to build domestic and allied supply chains, describing the initiative as a key national security priority following Beijing’s recent export restrictions.In a Nov. 2 interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” Trump said his administration’s new rare-earth plan would ensure that the United States can meet all of its industrial and defense needs in less than two years, citing new partnerships with Japan, Australia, and the UK.