For years, rare earths have been discussed mostly in times of crisis — a supply scare here, a geopolitical flare there. This year, the strategic minerals are again taking center stage as China reasserts control over the sector. The latest round of rare earths policy shifts has put new attention on how producers outside China are positioning themselves. For MP Materials (NYSE:MP), 2025 has been less about responding to market turbulence and more about testing what a viable, strategically resilient rare earths supply chain could look like beyond China’s dominance. “We’ve been talking about these issues for many, many years,” CFO Ryan Corbett said during a fireside chat at the Benchmark Week conference in Marina del Rey, California. “But the export controls in April put everything in stark relief.” The result, he told the audience, has been a level of public and government attention he has “never seen before.” And…
