President Donald Trump’s campaign to purge Chinese-linked critical minerals from federal supply chains is facing the U.S. industrial reality check.
Federal contractors must stop purchasing specified rare earths, magnets, tungsten, molybdenum and tantalum from China, Russia, Iran and North Korea by January 1, 2027.
Trump has sought to end the waiver system that long softened those restrictions, declaring in a May 11 Truth Social post: "ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES MUST BUY AMERICAN — NO EXCUSES!" U.S. demand for common rare-earth magnets totaled roughly 48,000 metric tons in 2025.
However, the data compiled by Arthur D.
Little and cited by Reuters points to just 300 tons of domestic supply.
