Two legal fights over turf and technology are brewing in key critical mineral sectors important to President Donald Trump’s quest to take on Chinese dominance of the industry.
The federally backed rare earths producer MP Materials — the first minerals powerhouse to secure an equity deal with the U.S. government — last week sued a rival company, Oklahoma-based USA Rare Earth, for allegedly “stealing” its technology needed to make permanent magnets. USA Rare Earth, which the government is also slated to partially own, denies the allegations.
It’s not the only legal dispute that’s erupted between competitors in a minerals sector deemed vital by the Trump administration. A separate lawsuit in Canada involves companies jockeying to be the first to mine the bottom of the Pacific Ocean for mineral-rich nodules.
The court battles are revving up as the Trump administration races to ink deals within still-evolving mineral sectors that now play a central role in the president’s global energy and trade strategy. China controls about 70 percent of global rare earth mining and almost 90 percent of the processing, refining and magnet production — materials needed to make everything from electronics to EV batteries, fighter jets and more.
