Apple has announced a $500 million multi-year agreement with MP Materials, a fully integrated US-based rare earth producer, to buy domestic rare earth magnets developed at MP Material’s flagship facility in Texas.
The deal will also see the two companies launch a new rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California, and develop novel magnet materials and processing technologies to enhance magnet performance.
Apple announced a series of sustainable materials goals for its products in 2023, including a target for magnets in Apple devices to use entirely recycled rare earth elements by 2025. In the company’s recently released Environmental Progress Report, Apple revealed that it has nearly achieved this goal, surpassing 99% use of recycled rare earth elements in all magnets.
The new facility will reprocess recycled rare earth elements from used electronics and post-industrial scrap, turning them into high-performance materials for Apple devices. Meanwhile, the new equipment and technical capacity will allow MP Materials to boost its overall production.
Once built, the magnets will be shipped across the US and beyond, meeting the increased global demand for such materials and supporting dozens of new jobs in advanced manufacturing and R&D. Extensive training will be offered to the workforce.
The announcement forms part of Apple’s commitment to spend more than $500 billion in the US over the next four years, and follows nearly five years of Apple and MP Materials piloting advanced recycling technology that enables recycled rare earth magnets to be processed.
The collaboration between Apple and MP Materials will continue as they look to improve magnet production and end-of-life recovery.
This move also aligns with broader US efforts to strengthen domestic access to critical minerals. The US Department of Defense recently announced an investment in MP Materials to reduce reliance on China and support key defense and commercial technologies, marking a strategic push for supply chain resilience in a net zero economy.
Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, said:
“Rare earth minerals are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the US. We will continue to invest in the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of the American people.”
