Myanmar Presses US for Rare-Earth Mining Investments

Myanmar’s military-led government is pressing the United States to deepen engagement and invest in its rare-earth sector, which supplies materials largely sent to China for processing. A U.S. State Department strategy seeks greater access to Myanmar’s critical minerals and calls for at least three U.S. commercial or investment deals worth $5 million or more, while also aiming to expand U.S. exports to Myanmar and combat scam compounds. The effort follows direct talks between U.S. and Myanmar officials after years of sanctions and is framed as a way to strengthen American supply chains amid China’s dominance of rare-earth magnet production. But Myanmar’s main mining areas in Kachin State are controlled by the Kachin Independence Army, an armed group fighting the military, complicating any push to secure supplies.