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Ucore's Rare Earth Hub Gains Urgency as Samarium Tops US Supply Risk List

Ucore Rare Metals advances North America's first samarium-gadolinium refinery as USGS ranks samarium as highest-risk critical mineral for 2025, creating Western alternative to China's dominance.

This news matters because it addresses a critical vulnerability in Western supply chains for materials essential to modern technology and national security. Samarium and gadolinium are key components in high-strength permanent magnets used in everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to defense systems like guided missiles and fighter jets. With China currently controlling over 80% of global rare earth processing, the U.S. Geological Survey's identification of samarium as the highest-risk mineral underscores a dangerous dependency that threatens economic stability and technological advancement. Ucore's Kingston facility represents a strategic effort to create North American independence in these materials, which could prevent supply disruptions that would stall the green energy transition, compromise military readiness, and leave Western manufacturers vulnerable to geopolitical pressure. For consumers, this means more secure access to electric vehicles and renewable energy; for investors, it represents opportunity in a sector gaining government support through initiatives like the U.S. Defense Production Act; and for policymakers, it highlights the urgent need to rebuild domestic industrial capabilities.