There are materials that underpin the economy “silently” in the background. That’s exactly what happened in 2025 with rare earths: 17 elements with similar chemical properties, essential for permanent magnets, electric motors, defense technology and the green transition.
They are not geologically rare. They are rare where it counts: in the ability to separate, purify and produce magnets on an industrial scale — and that ability is now largely Chinese.
Why rare earths became a “symbol” in 2025
The industrial history of rare earths is a story of concentration. The raw materials are found elsewhere — from Australia to the US to Brazil — but the crucial point is not the deposit.
It is the “middle” of the chain: separation/refining and, even further down, the production of permanent magnets. That is where the real bottleneck lies.
Rare earths are 17 elements (including neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, yttrium, and others). They are usually divided into “light” (LREEs) and “heavy” (HREEs).
The heavy ones are critical for high-performance magnets that can withstand temperatures and demands that are unforgiving of failure — a characteristic that makes their use strategic for defense and industry.
Neodymium/praseodymium (NdPr) is the “heart” of many permanent magnets. These magnets are found in electric motors (EVs), wind turbine generators, a variety of precision systems, and critical defense applications. They are not easy to replace without loss of weight, volume, performance, or reliability — that is, without cost.
As the technologies that support electrification and the energy transition scale up, permanent magnets and critical rare earths are moving to the center of the economy.
This means that every restriction, every licensing delay, every obstacle to the transfer of know-how translates into a real risk for production, prices and investments.
2025 made rare earths synonymous with geoeconomics: a field where power is not measured only in GDP or technology, but in export licenses, refineries, magnets and access rights.
The temporary relaxation until 2026 looks like an extension of a fight that has already changed its character. As long as the West does not build an independent and competitive magnet processing and production capacity, it will remain exposed. And as demand rises from EVs, renewables and defense, the incentive grows.
2025, in other words, was the year that rare earths ceased to be a “special issue.” They became central to the political economy. And in 2026, they will continue to be the leading role.
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