Apple has committed to invest $500 million to produce and recycle rare earth magnets used in its products in the United States beginning in 2027.
Apple today announced a multi-year deal with the American rare earth mining company MP Materials to spend $500 million over four years on domestic rare earth magnet recycling and production. The two companies have been developing and testing the new recycling technology for almost five years.
Apple and MP Materials will expand capacity at its existing manufacturing plant in Fort Worth, Texas, and also build an all-new rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass, California. The first shipments of American-made neodymium magnets will be rolling off Mountain Pass production lines beginning in 2027.
Apple to buy and recycle rare earth magnets in the US
The recycling line in Mountain Pass will develop “novel magnet materials and innovative processing technologies to enhance magnet performance,” claims Apple. The commitment is part of Apple’s previously announced $500 billion infrastructure investment in the United States manufacturing over the next four years.
Apple reprocesses electronics that make up its products and scraps materials like rare earth magnets, which are used for the iPhone’s Taptic Engine, for example. Apple’s press release claims that the deal will create dozens of new jobs in manufacturing and R&D in the United States.
“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the US economy,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States.”
“We couldn’t be more excited about the future of American manufacturing, and we will continue to invest in the ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit of the American people,” he added.
Many Apple products use magnets
Aside from the Taptic Engine, which is the iPhone’s sophisticated vibratory motor capable of producing a range of vibratory patterns, Apple also uses magnets for the iPhone’s MagSafe feature, the Apple Watch charging disk, magnetic snapping on the Smart Keyboard and more.
Rare earth materials like magnets are in high demand in the world of electronics. The vast majority of rare earth magnets are produced and exported from China. The Trump tariffs threatened to disrupt the supply of rare earth magnets, but the US and China have since managed to reach an important rare earths export deal.