Apple has announced a $500 million partnership with U.S.-based MP Materials to secure domestic rare earth magnet production for future Apple devices. The agreement includes building new manufacturing lines at MP’s Fort Worth, Texas facility and collaborating on a recycling program in California. Shipments are expected to begin by 2027.
The move follows mounting pressure from President Donald Trump for Apple to manufacture more components in the United States. In May, Trump said via Truth Social that iPhones sold in the U.S. should be built domestically or face a 25% tariff. While Apple hasn’t committed to moving iPhone assembly out of Asia, the rare earth partnership aligns with the administration’s push to reduce dependency on Chinese supply chains.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said the project will help develop U.S. talent in magnet manufacturing and contribute to the company’s broader sustainability goals. Apple already uses recycled rare earths in its latest devices and will expand those efforts through this initiative.
China currently controls over 90% of global rare earth processing, making the materials a critical vulnerability in the U.S. tech supply chain. The MP Materials deal is part of a broader trend of American and international tech companies reshoring key operations, including recent investments by Texas Instruments, Nvidia, and TSMC.
