Rare Earth Magnets / Permanent Magnets

The setup

The US government is actively working to secure a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets, critical for defense and energy applications. This effort is driven by both legislative proposals and direct executive action, including the invocation of the Defense Production Act. The Department of Defense and Department of Energy are issuing solicitations for domestically sourced magnets and materials.

How this developed

1. Feb 10, 2026HR 7473 (CMMSA 2.0) introduced to increase Section 45X credit for US battery materials processors and ban foreign entity materials by Dec 2026.Bill
2. Jun 9, 2026HR9227 introduced to incentivize domestic production and use of permanent magnets via tax credits.Bill
3. Jun 10, 2026Department of the Army issues a solicitation for domestically sourced rare earth magnets for small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS).Procurement notice
4. Jul 29, 2026Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Lab issues a solicitation for permanent magnet blocks.Procurement notice
5. Jul 30, 2026Presidential Determination invokes DPA Section 101 for recoverable critical minerals, including end-of-life rare-earth magnets.Executive action
6. Aug 12, 2026Department of the Army issues a Sources Sought notice for rare earth magnets.Procurement notice
7. Aug 27, 2026Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Lab issues another solicitation for permanent magnet blocks.Procurement notice

Why it matters

• The invocation of the Defense Production Act (E8) for recoverable critical minerals, specifically including end-of-life rare-earth magnets, grants the Secretary of Commerce authority to issue priority contracts and intervene in supply chains to expand domestic recovery and processing.
• Multiple solicitations from the Department of Defense (E5, E10) and Department of Energy (E7, E11) for rare earth magnets and permanent magnet blocks demonstrate active procurement efforts to secure domestic supply for defense and research applications.
• Legislative efforts (E1, E4) are underway to provide tax incentives and domestic sourcing advantages for rare earth and magnet manufacturing, signaling potential long-term policy support for the industry.
• The focus on 'domestically sourced' materials in procurement notices (E5) and the DPA determination (E8) highlights a strategic shift towards reducing reliance on foreign supply chains for critical magnet components.

The record · 7 items, oldest first

• Feb 10, 2026BillCMMSA 2.0
• Jun 9, 2026BillTo amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to incentivize the domestic production and use of permanent magnets, and for other purposes.
• Jun 10, 2026Procurement noticeDomestically Sourced Rare Earth Magnets for sUAS
• Jul 29, 2026Procurement noticePermanent Magnet Blocks
• Jul 30, 2026Executive actionPresidential Memorandum: Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 101 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as Amended, on Recoverable Critical Minerals and Materials
• Aug 12, 2026Procurement noticeRare Earth Magnets
• Aug 27, 2026Procurement noticePermanent Magnet Blocks

Some keyword matches were judged unrelated to this theme and are excluded from the record above.

How this story evolved

Earlier versions of this narrative will appear here as the record is re-read.