TL;DR
- Apple is investing $500 million in MP Materials, the only fully integrated U.S. rare earth company.
- The investment will fund neodymium magnet manufacturing lines in Fort Worth, Texas, for Apple products.
- A new rare earth recycling line will be built in Mountain Pass, California, using recycled electronics and scrap.
- The deal supports Apple’s $500 billion U.S. investment pledge and advances its sustainability goals.
- Apple aims to reduce reliance on foreign sources and promote domestic clean tech supply chains.
Strengthening the U.S. Rare Earth Supply Chain
In a bold move to localize and green its supply chain, Apple has committed $500 million to MP Materials—a Nevada-based mining and processing firm that operates the only U.S. rare earths facility at scale.
The deal, announced Tuesday, will support the development of custom manufacturing lines for neodymium magnets, a critical component in iPhones, MacBooks, and AirPods. The magnets will be produced at MP’s Fort Worth, Texas facility, a flagship operation designed to supply Apple’s global product line with American-made inputs.
Magnet-to-Device: From Texas to the World
MP Materials will manufacture Apple-grade neodymium magnets, which are essential in devices’ internal motors and haptics. Once produced, the magnets will be shipped nationwide and internationally to meet growing demand.
Apple emphasized that this deal not only reinforces domestic manufacturing but also helps create supply chain resilience in a sector historically dominated by Chinese exports.
Collaborative Recycling at Mountain Pass
In parallel, Apple and MP Materials will build a rare earth recycling facility in Mountain Pass, California, designed to recover materials from:
- Used electronics
- Post-industrial scrap
These reclaimed materials will be reprocessed into new Apple-grade magnets—effectively closing the loop on rare earth usage and reducing dependency on virgin mined materials.
Apple began using recycled rare earths in the Taptic Engine of the iPhone 11 in 2019. Today, nearly all Apple magnets are made with 100% recycled rare earth elements, the company claims.
Apple’s Domestic Rare Earth Strategy
| Initiative | Detail |
| Total Apple Investment | $500 million |
| Partner | MP Materials |
| Manufacturing Facility | Fort Worth, Texas |
| Magnet Type | Neodymium |
| Recycling Line Location | Mountain Pass, California |
| Material Sources | Used electronics, post-industrial rare earth scrap |
| Recycled Magnets in Apple Devices | Nearly 100% (across iPhone, MacBook, iPad, AirPods) |
| Broader U.S. Investment Pledge | $500 billion over 4 years |
| Source: Apple | |
A New Era of Domestic Clean Tech Manufacturing
The partnership reflects Apple’s shift toward a decarbonized, circular manufacturing model and follows recent legislative pushes in the U.S. to secure domestic access to critical materials.
MP Materials already operates the Mountain Pass mine, one of the world’s richest sources of rare earths, and has committed to onshoring the entire magnet supply chain—from mining to manufacturing to recycling.
Together, Apple and MP will also pursue advanced magnet research, aiming to improve material efficiency and magnetic strength in next-gen consumer electronics.
