Rare earth is needed everywhere but you can't build their production everywhere without problems. After the events of 2025, many countries around the world began to openly talk about dependence on rare earths in China - all due to restrictions on metals imposed in Beijing due to a trade war with the United States. After that the control weakened, but there was no less talk. Against this background, Taiwan also wants to distance itself from Chinese supply chains. The Industrial Technology Institute (ITRI) plans to produce 500 tons of rare earth products annually by the end of 2030, which will cover about half of the island's needs. The construction of the plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Where are rare earths used in Taiwan? One of the main industries is semiconductors. True, not many of them are required as it seems - the elements are used in polishing materials, individual dielectrics and equipment. But in other developing areas of the island, the flow of rare earths is more needed. Neodymium is used in permanent magnets for motors in electric vehicles, robots, UAVs and industrial equipment. Dysprosium is added to help the magnets maintain their properties at high temperatures and loads. But now it is not enough to simply announce that the factory will be built, because immediately questions arise as to where the raw materials are obtained. In Taiwan, they propose the following plan: extract and beneficiate ore in advance abroad, and process it on the island. Another source may be the extraction of metals from used equipment. Everything looks very smooth, but it is not without problems. ITRI ​​is engaged in rare earth production, but only as part of an experiment, which means that less raw materials were needed - there are no long-term contracts with foreign mines, which, considering what is happening in the industry, are bound by obligations to other buyers. The second problem is scale: current production produces about five tons a year, meaning you'll need to increase capacity a hundredfold.

Rare earth is needed everywhere but you can't build their production everywhere without problems. After the events of 2025, many countries around the world began to openly talk about dependence on rare earths in China - all due to restrictions on metals imposed in Beijing due to a trade war with the United States. After that the control weakened, but there was no less talk. Against this background, Taiwan also wants to distance itself from Chinese supply chains. The Industrial Technology Institute (ITRI) plans to produce 500 tons of rare earth products annually by the end of 2030, which will cover about half of the island's needs. The construction of the plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Where are rare earths used in Taiwan? One of the main industries is semiconductors. True, not many of them are required as it seems - the elements are used in polishing materials, individual dielectrics and equipment. But in other developing areas of the island, the flow of rare earths is more needed. Neodymium is used in permanent magnets for motors in electric vehicles, robots, UAVs and industrial equipment. Dysprosium is added to help the magnets maintain their properties at high temperatures and loads. But now it is not enough to simply announce that the factory will be built, because immediately questions arise as to where the raw materials are obtained. In Taiwan, they propose the following plan: extract and beneficiate ore in advance abroad, and process it on the island. Another source may be the extraction of metals from used equipment. Everything looks very smooth, but it is not without problems. ITRI ​​is engaged in rare earth production, but only as part of an experiment, which means that less raw materials were needed - there are no long-term contracts with foreign mines, which, considering what is happening in the industry, are bound by obligations to other buyers. The second problem is scale: current production produces about five tons a year, meaning you'll need to increase capacity a hundredfold.