TWO rare earth companies set up by the US to replicate China’s rare earth sector are fighting each other, it was just revealed

TWO rare earth companies set up by the US to replicate China’s rare earth sector are fighting each other, it was just revealed. 兩家由美國設立、旨在複製中國稀土產業的稀土公司，近日被揭露正在互相對抗。

而且兩家都尚未生產出任何可供銷售的稀土元素。

其中一家公司 MP Materials，正將另一家 USA Rare Earths 告上法庭，指控其「竊取」技術 – 根據上週在德州法院提交的訴狀內容（彭博社昨日報導），細節已曝光。

法庭文件指出：「USA Rare Earth 屢次未能達成其商業與績效目標，如今竟轉向竊取技術以求自救。」

此案的關鍵在於：MP 聲稱自己開發了一種防止磁體退磁的工藝，但競爭對手挖走了 MP 的一名員工，以取得這項機密技術知識。

重型武器

稀土生產極其困難、危險且勞動密集，因此幾十年來，全球一直樂於讓中國來做這件事。

但近年來，美國意識到它需要稀土來製造重型武器，以藉此主宰世界，包括對抗中國。

國務院意識到，購買中國產品用於對抗中國的戰爭會很尷尬。因此，納稅人的錢被轉用於複製中國的做法（2025年7月對 MP 投資4億美元股權，今年1月又與 USA Rare Earths 共同投資16億美元）。

整個過程將耗費一些時間。《金融時報》今日報導：「儘管 USA Rare Earth 已獲得美國政府支持，但它尚未開採稀土或商業化生產磁鐵。」

MP 似乎進度領先，並表示正與通用汽車合作，測試其所生產、可用於汽車的稀土磁鐵。

美國若繼續與中國進行貿易，本可節省數十億美元，但其「我們必須主導」的政策- 一種被精神科醫師定義為「自大狂」的症狀 – 正粗暴地顛覆全球貿易關係。

And neither has produced any rare earth elements for sale yet.

One of the firms, MP Materials, is taking the other, USA Rare Earths, to court for “theft” of technology—as revealed in claims filed at a Texas court last week, detailed by Bloomberg yesterday.

“USA Rare Earth has repeatedly failed to meet its commercial and performance targets and is now resorting to stealing technology to dig itself out,” the court document says.

The crux of the matter is that MP says it developed a process to prevent demagnetization—but the rival company poached an MP staff member to get access to that classified knowhow.

HEAVY WEAPONS

Rare earth production is extremely difficult, dangerous and labor-intensive, so the world has been content to allow the Chinese to do it for decades.

But in recent years, the US realized it needed rare earths for heavy weapons with which to dominate the world, including China.

The State Department realized it would be awkward to buy Chinese items for use in a war on China. So taxpayer cash has been diverted to copy the Chinese (a US$400 million equity investment in MP in July 2025, and a US$1.6 billion investment with USA Rare Earths in January this year.)

The whole process is will take a while. “While USA Rare Earth has won US government backing, it is yet to mine rare earths or produce magnets commercially,” the Financial Times reported today.

MP appears to be ahead and says it is working with General Motors to test rare earth magnets it has produced for use in cars.

The US could save billions by simply continuing to trade with China, but its we-must-lead policy, a condition defined by psychiatrists as “megalomania”, is brutally up-ending global trade relationships.