Pentagon looking forward to working with US rare earths firms, US defense official says

July 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Defense plans to continue working with rare earths companies to ensure diverse American supply of the critical minerals used across the economy, a defense official told Reuters on Tuesday.

The Pentagon last week signed a multibillion-dollar deal to become the largest shareholder in rare earths producer MP Materials MP.N and also agreed to several financial backstop measures for the company.