Defense Critical Minerals
A worker drives a forklift at the Phoenix Tailings refinery Wednesday, July 22, 2026, in Exeter, N.H.
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A small refinery tucked inside a New Hampshire office park is helping produce the critical minerals needed in the missiles used in the Iran war. Phoenix Tailings is among the few U.S. companies processing these minerals and received $500 million from the Pentagon to expand its capacity. But it will take a while to ramp up its work. In addition, most new U.S. mines are years away from reality as the country tries to build up domestic supplies of critical minerals free of Chinese control. As the White House is demanding military contractors speed up weapons production, it’s also imposing stricter rules banning them from sourcing critical minerals from China.
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