On June 13, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company is struggling with supplies of rare earth magnets that are essential to car production and already forced a shutdown of production of its Explorer SUV at its Chicago plant for a week in May. Farley said that the supply of the critical components has been trickling out

China has granted temporary export licenses to rare-earth suppliers of the Detroit 3 automakers, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Suppliers to General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis got clearance for some rare earth export licenses on June 2, one of the two sources said. At least some of the licenses are

On June 12, Stellantis said it is currently unaffected by supply bottlenecks for rare earth materials from China, though it has had difficulties in managing the situation in the past, according to its head of European operations.
"We're all fine for June," Stellantis' Jean-Philippe Imparato said during an automotive

On June 11, Cyclic Materials, an advanced recycling company building a circular supply chain for rare earth elements (REEs), announced a USD 25 million investment to launch North America’s first Centre of Excellence for rare earth recycling in Kingston, Ontario. 
Spanning over 140,000 square feet, the first-of-its-ki

On June 12, JLR hired 50 new supply chain experts to strengthen its EV supply chains and ensure ethical sourcing, as the company transitions to fully electric models across all brands by 2030.
These new roles will help track parts and critical materials, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, graphite, and rare

On June 11, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese officials announced they have agreed to a framework for a trade deal between the two countries, setting tariffs, allowing students to attend U.S. universities and easing restrictions on trade in rare earths.
“Our deal with China is done, subject to final approval wi

On June 10, multiple sources reported that the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, India, addressing a press conference in Switzerland, stated that China’s curbs on the export of rare-earth magnets are a ‘wake-up call’ which can impact important sectors like the auto industry and consumer goods.
The Indian gover

On June 8, China’s Ministry of Commerce, in a social media update, stated that Commerce Minister Wang Wentao held a discussion with EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič in Paris, France on June 3.
Wang explained China’s export control policies to Šefčovič, emphasizing that implementing expor

On June 6, the External Affairs Minister of India, the ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan took part in the 4th meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue.
The Sides expressed interest in the joint ex

On June 7, the Ministry of Commerce, China, stated that it has approved a certain number of compliant applications under the law related to rare earth export control measures. It will continue to strengthen the approval of compliant applications. China is willing to further strengthen export control communication and

On June 4, the European Commission adopted the first list of 13 Strategic Projects on strategic raw materials located outside the EU, including in overseas countries and territories. The projects will diversify the EU’s supply sources and enhance economic security, while also promoting local value creation in third c

On June 4 at the UBS Auto and Auto Tech Conference, Ford’s Chief Financial Officer Sherry House talked about tariffs and supply chain disruptions that will impact in its Q2 earnings in July, but cautioned there are many unknowns that could make Ford's upcoming financials "a bit lumpy". 
On disruptions caused by expor

On June 4, the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) reported significant disruption in Europe’s automotive supply industry due to China’s recent export restrictions on rare earth elements and magnets. These restrictions have led to the shutdown of several production lines and plants across Europe, wit

On June 6, Suzuki announced that it secured supply of components of Swift hatchback, whose production has been suspended due to supply issue at Sagara plant.
The plant will resume production of Swift partially on June 13 and fully resume production from June 16.
The supply shortage has not affected the production of

On May 30, Reuters reported that global auto executives are sounding the alarm on an impending shortage of rare-earth magnets from China – used in everything from windshield-wiper motors to anti-lock braking sensors – that could force the closure of car factories within weeks.
In a previously unreported May 9 letter

On April 8, Solvay inaugurated its rare earths production line for permanent magnets at the La Rochelle facility. The investment in France enhances an established facility, the biggest plant outside China, capable of separating all rare earth materials. 
The permanent magnets are essential components in electric vehi

On February 3, President Donald Trump said his administration wants an agreement with Ukraine for that country suffering the devastation of war to offer access to its rare earths resources in return for aiding its defense against Russia.
“We’re looking to do a deal with Ukraine where they’re going to secure what we’r

On December 30, BMW i Ventures invested in Phoenix Tailings, a groundbreaking company focused on sustainable rare earth metal production. The investment is part of a Series B financing round led by Envisioning Partners, with additional contributions from Yamaha Motor Ventures and Escape Velocity. This funding will en

Neo Performance Materials Inc. announced that its subsidiary in Estonia, NPM Narva OÜ, won a contract to supply sintered rare earth magnets to a leading European Tier 1 supplier of EV traction motors. The sintered magnets will be supplied by Neo’s new manufacturing facility in Estonia, under its Magnequench segment.

MP Materials received USD 58.5 million in investment tax credits from the U.S. federal government for the construction of the first fully integrated rare earth magnet manufacturing facility in the country. Construction of the plant in Fort Worth, Texas began in April 2022. The company plans to begin commercial produc