The administration led by former President Donald Trump is reportedly showing interest in diverting Myanmar’s rare earth minerals away from China, its strategic rival, according to a Reuters report published.
The report stated that U.S. government officials have held discussions and reviewed proposals from rare earth experts on how to reroute Myanmar’s mineral supply chains.
Experts indicated that this shift signals a possible change in longstanding U.S. policy toward Myanmar and could lead to the country’s rare earth exports moving further away from Chinese control.
According to the recommendations, gaining access to Myanmar’s rare earths may require the U.S. to engage with ethnic armed groups currently controlling many of the resource-rich areas.
In particular, experts suggested that the U.S. may need to enter into direct negotiations not only with Myanmar’s ruling military junta but also with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which controls rare earth operations in Kachin State.
However, it is noted that the U.S. has so far avoided direct engagement with the junta since it overthrew Myanmar’s elected civilian government in 2021.
Reuters reported that the United States produces only a limited amount of rare earth minerals domestically and remains dependent on imports.
According to the International Energy Agency, China is responsible for nearly 90% of global rare earth processing.
As a result, securing access to rare earth minerals has become a strategic focus of the U.S. government under Trump’s leadership, in its broader geopolitical competition with China.
Rare earth minerals are critical components used in manufacturing magnets that power energy transformation technologies, aircraft, and weapons systems.
