relationship between rare earth and the USA

[limacharley]

Read this interesting article in a mining magazine regarding rare earth minerals. We all know that the Toyoda sponsored mine near Kipawa is pretty much dead.
What I find odd is that the USA is looking for rare earth not for electric car manufacturing but for weaponry.
The 26000 tons the US mined last year was only about enough to fill one great lake freighter bulk carrier....doesn't seem like a lot. The Edmund Fitzgerald held 25,400 tons.
BTW.....It was all processed off shore.

https://www.mining.com/web/us-drones-scouring-for-rare-earths-to-end-reliance-on-china/?utm_source=Daily_Digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MNG-DIGESTS&utm_content=us-drones-scouring-for-rare-earths-to-end-reliance-on-china