New rare earth plant shows strength of Japan-France cooperation

France and Japan announced a groundbreaking collaboration in March to enhance resilience in critical mineral supply chains amid geopolitical uncertainty, with a focus on extracting rare earths like dysprosium and terbium from recycled magnets in France's southwest. This first-of-its-kind project, backed by French and Japanese investments, could contribute up to 15% of global production once operational next year, marking a significant step beyond China's current dominance in this field.