NEW YORK, March 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukraine produced 1.2 million drones in 2024 alone. The scale is significant, as Ukraine is now deploying roughly 9,000 drones per day. But all of those drones share one vulnerability: virtually every magnet in the Ukrainian drones used in 2024 was manufactured in China. And the same is true for Western defense systems across the board.  Companies mentioned in this release include: REalloys Inc. (ALOY), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL), Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD), General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (NYSE: TSM)

Every drone motor, every missile guidance system, every fighter jet turbine starter…all of them depend on rare earth magnets that trace back to Chinese processing. That's a vulnerability most people haven't even begun to understand. And one company, REalloys (ALOY), is looking to close that gap before it's too late.

REalloys operates the only proven commercial-scale platform in North America for producing the heavy rare earth metals and alloys that go into defense-grade magnets. Its facility in Euclid, Ohio, is already delivering materials under U.S. government contracts. And there's a hard deadline approaching that changes everything. On January 1, 2027, new U.S. defense procurement rules take effect that will effectively ban Chinese-origin rare earth materials from American weapons systems. That means every defense contractor currently sourcing magnets or magnet materials – for drones or any other military purpose – from China will need a compliant domestic alternative…and they'll need it fast. So the companies that get qualified into these programs now might own these supply chains for decades.

China Holds the Key

China controls approximately 90–95% of global rare earth processing. Rare earths exist in the ground across North America, South America, Greenland, and elsewhere. But the West gave up the ability to actually process those raw materials into usable metals and magnets roughly 40 years ago. China filled that void and now controls nearly the entire global supply chain.

Every rare earth magnet used in Western defense systems, vehicles, electronics, and industrial equipment traces back to Chinese processing. And China maintains an incredibly strict control over its advantage, as it issues rare earth export licenses on a monthly basis. That means Beijing can throttle supply to any country at any time.

When President Trump threatened 100% tariffs on China, Beijing's counter was a threat to cut off rare earth exports. This episode highlighted the strategic leverage that rare earth export controls provide to China.

Notably, the United States currently maintains zero strategic stockpile of processed rare earths. Europe's stockpile? Also zero. The entire Western drone and defense industrial base operates on a just-in-time supply chain for the most critical materials on the planet…and it's sourced almost entirely from a geopolitical adversary that can turn the tap off any time it wants. This is the threat that makes what REalloys is building in Ohio and Saskatchewan so critical…not just as a business, but as a matter of national defense.

Why Billions in Mining Investment Haven't Fixed Anything

There's a reason billions of dollars in rare earth mining investment haven't made a dent in China's dominance. It's because most of the money was spent working to solve the wrong problem. Even President Trump has acknowledged this publicly, remarking at the World Economic Forum in Davos that America doesn't have a rare earth problem; it has a processing problem. Elon Musk echoed the same point, noting that there's nothing rare about rare earths except the processing and separating.

Converting raw rare earth minerals into defense-grade metals and magnets is a ridiculously complex industrial challenge. It involves separating 17 individual elements through multi-stage solvent extraction…then converting oxides into metals at temperatures above 1,200 degrees…then precision alloying to exact specifications across thousands of micro-steps…and all of this must be controlled with extreme precision.

Making matters worse, many companies claiming to operate supply chains outside China's influence are still quietly dependent on Chinese technology, equipment, and consumables. For example, graphite anodes, which are a critical furnace component that needs replacing several times per week, come almost exclusively from China.

As one rare earth processing expert put it: 1% reliance on China is 100% reliance on China. It's a principle that REalloys and its processing partner, the Saskatchewan Research Council, built their entire operation around…and it's why their supply chain was designed from the ground up to be completely free of Chinese dependency.

The Only Proven Platform in North America

No other company in North America has what REalloys (ALOY) has built: a proven, commercial-scale heavy rare earth supply chain that can take raw material all the way to a finished magnet with zero reliance on Chinese technology, equipment, or critical consumables.

The company controls every step of the supply chain. Upstream, it owns the Hoidas Lake rare earth project in Saskatchewan and has locked in non-binding feedstock agreements with partners in Kazakhstan, Brazil, and Greenland. Midstream, it holds an exclusive 80% offtake on production from the Saskatchewan Research Council's Rare Earth Processing Facility in Saskatoon, targeting first commercial production in late 2026 to early 2027. Downstream, it operates a metallization and magnet-manufacturing facility in Euclid, Ohio, which is a site with more than three decades of specialty metals experience and existing contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and NASA.

That Euclid facility is a critical asset. It is currently the only facility in North America with a proven track record of delivering heavy rare earth metals, alloys, and magnets to government and commercial partners. The team behind it goes back over 40 years, including eight years of hands-on collaboration with U.S. national laboratories and the Defense Logistics Agency. And the processing technology that feeds it is just as impressive. Where a comparable Chinese facility requires roughly 80 workers running manual operations around the clock, the SRC's AI-driven system runs the entire separation process with six people.

When China blocked the export of processing technology in 2020, SRC built everything from the ground up…and ended up building something better. By early 2027, the combined platform is expected to produce approximately 525 tonnes per year of neodymium-praseodymium metal, roughly 30 tonnes of dysprosium oxide, and 15 tonnes of terbium oxide. At that scale, the SRC facility would be the largest source of heavy rare earth oxides outside China, sitting right in North America's backyard.

Why the Next 12 Months Change Everything

On January 1, 2027, new U.S. defense procurement rules take effect that will effectively ban Chinese-origin rare earth materials from American weapons systems. Every defense contractor that currently sources magnets or magnet materials from China will need a compliant domestic alternative. That deadline is now less than a year away, and qualification alone takes years while material is tested, stressed, retested, incorporated into components, and evaluated again after changes in scale. Any variation in chemistry, microstructure, or processing conditions can reset the entire clock.

Once a supplier clears that process, replacing them becomes a technical and regulatory headache that nobody wants to take on. Defense platforms are designed to operate for decades, and suppliers are chosen early and rarely replaced.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank has issued a $200 million letter of intent to support the company's supply chain development. The Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) has signed an MOU covering technology transfer and potential financing. And the company's board reads like a who's who of defense and policy leadership: Chairman Stephen S. DuMont, President of GM Defense; General Jack Keane (Ret.), four-star general and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; former Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall; and former Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton.

When the U.S. defense establishment, allied governments, and major financial institutions all start backing the same company, it usually means something. In rare earth processing, where the barriers are measured in years of expertise rather than dollars of capital, being first matters more than being biggest. REalloys got there first.

Heavy rare earths are essential technology. Here are 5 companies to watch over the coming months that have exposure to the rare earth space:

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has essentially decoupled its hardware from the traditional rare earth mining market. As of their 2025 environmental audits, the company reached a milestone: over 99% of the rare earths used in all Apple-designed magnets are now sourced from recycled materials. This is a massive achievement powered by their proprietary disassembly robots like Daisy and Dave, which recover magnets from old iPhones that industrial shredders would normally pulverize and lose. 

To lock this in for the long haul, Apple signed a landmark $500 million agreement with MP Materials in mid-2025. This deal secures a domestic supply of magnets refined at Mountain Pass, California, and manufactured in Northlake, Texas.

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is the "quiet giant" of the AI hardware world, specializing in the high-speed networking chips that connect thousands of GPUs in a data center. In early 2026, they secured a massive $21 billion order from Anthropic for custom AI accelerators. These chips, and the optical transceivers that accompany them, require precision magnets and specialized alloys that have been subject to significant export delays and 45% tariffs over the last year.

Broadcom's stock has been one of the top performers in the semiconductor sector, recently hitting new highs as investors realize that you can't build an AI supercomputer without Broadcom's interconnect technology. They've successfully integrated VMware into their business, shifting toward a high-margin software-plus-hardware model.

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMD) is currently the strongest rival to NVIDIA in the AI space, and they are doing it by leaning into an "open ecosystem" strategy. Helios is designed to be "circular-ready," meaning it's built so that rare earth magnets and other high-value metals can be easily stripped and recycled when the hardware is decommissioned after its 3-to-5-year life cycle in a data center.

Financially, AMD's stock has been bolstered by its aggressive product roadmap, specifically the Instinct MI400 series GPUs. While NVIDIA has the market share, AMD has the "favored alternative" status among hyperscalers like Google and Microsoft who want to avoid vendor lock-in.

General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) has expanded its upstream exposure as access to battery raw materials increasingly dictates EV scaling timelines. The automaker continues to secure direct stakes and long-term contracts across the lithium, nickel, and cobalt value chains to underpin its Ultium platform.

Its investment in Lithium Americas' Thacker Pass project provides priority access to Phase 1 lithium supply, supporting full U.S. tax credit eligibility under current IRA guidelines. GM has also expanded nickel and cobalt supply arrangements with global miners to diversify sourcing.

TSMC (NYSE: TSM) is the "foundry of the world," and as such, they are the single largest consumer of the high-purity chemicals and minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing. At their massive site in Phoenix, Arizona, they recently broke ground on an Industrial Water Reclamation Plant. This $20+ billion facility is designed to recapture up to 90% of the water used in chipmaking.

Financially, TSMC remains a powerhouse, with early 2026 revenue projections showing nearly 30% growth. The stock continues to be a favorite for those wanting exposure to the AI boom, as every major player relies on TSMC's Taiwan and Arizona fabs. However, the company is constantly navigating the "Taiwan Risk," which is why their

By. Josh Owens

Oilprice Intelligence brings you the inside view on where the next gains will come from, breaking down the market's biggest growth driver with analysis from oilmen and experts. Click here to get this intel for free

IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured companies and/or industry. The Publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the companies' actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, changing governmental laws and policies concerning, among other things, recreational and medical cannabis sales, success of the company's proprietary technology, the size and growth of the market for the company's products and services, the company's ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc.

SHARE OWNERSHIP
Neither the author nor the publisher, Oilprice.com, was paid to publish this communication concerning REalloys (ALOY). However, the owner of Oilprice.com owns shares and/or stock options of the featured company and therefore has an incentive to see the featured company's stock perform well. The owner of Oilprice.com may buy or sell shares of the featured company at any time including at or near the time you receive this communication. This share ownership should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased. This is why we stress that you conduct extensive due diligence as well as seek the advice of your financial advisor or a registered broker-dealer before investing in any securities. 

This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Neither this communication nor the Publisher purport to provide a complete analysis of any company or its financial position. The Publisher is not, and does not purport to be, a broker-dealer or registered investment adviser. This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular investor. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company's SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This communication is based on information generally available to the public and does not contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.

INDEMNIFICATION/RELEASE OF LIABILITY
By reading this communication, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclaimer, and further that to the greatest extent permitted under law, you release the Publisher, its affiliates, assigns and successors from any and all liability, damages, and injury from this communication. You further warrant that you are solely responsible for any financial outcome that may come from your investment decisions.

TERMS OF USE
By reading this communication you agree that you have reviewed and fully agree to the Terms of Use found here http://oilprice.com/terms-and-conditions If you do not agree to the Terms of Use http://oilprice.com/terms-and-conditions, please contact Oilprice.com to discontinue receiving future communications.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Oilprice.com is the Publisher's trademark. All other trademarks used in this communication are the property of their respective trademark holders.  The Publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the Publisher to any rights in any third-party trademarks.

OilPrice.com
+44 203 239 4080
info@oilprice.com

SOURCE: Oilprice.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-drone-revolutions-dependence-on-chinese-rare-earth-processing---oilpricecom-market-commentary-302711142.html