China has quietly issued its first 2025 rare earth mining and smelting quotas without the typical public statement, sources with knowledge of the matter said this week, another sign of Beijing tightening its control over the crucial sector.

In a win for President Trump's energy agenda, the first new U.S. rare-earth mine in 70 years broke ground this month in Wyoming.

Decades of process innovation and industrial policy helped China corner the rare earths market while the US fell behind.