Apple’s investment in the mining company MP Materials will also help the tech giant reduce its dependence on China for rare earth metals.

Despite a detente on China’s restrictions on the critical manufacturing inputs, shipments remain far below last year’s levels.

The moves by Apple and the Pentagon are part of a broader U.S. push to nearshore rare earth supply chains. Earlier this year, President Trump proposed annexing Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory estimated to contain $4.4 trillion worth of rare earth reserves. Vice President JD Vance made a surprise visit in support of the plan.