Rare earths and critical minerals may be the most misunderstood yet important sector of the next decade: no defense, energy or AI boom happens without them. IperionX is reshoring titanium for defense and aerospace from recycled feedstock, with heavy rare earth optionality and deep government backing. Elmet Group, the only American-owned integrated tungsten and molybdenum maker, can fill the gap as the US bans Chinese tungsten in defense from 2027; it is profitable with a record defense backlog. … Show more

United States Antimony is the only operating antimony producer in the US, as the country scrambles to secure domestic supply of a mineral critical to munitions and semiconductors after years of relying on China. Defense, energy and data-center buildouts add demand tailwinds. x.com 

Critical-materials suppliers offer exposure to a major bottleneck this decade: AI, data centers, defense, robotics and electrification should drive massive demand across copper, graphite, rare earths, nuclear fuel and other inputs.
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EQ Resources' best upside is still ahead as higher-grade ore reaches production at Mt Carbine in Queensland. It removed 1.6 million tonnes of waste rock to unlock the Iolanthe vein, which runs 3 to 4 times current grade. More tungsten per tonne with APT near $3,000, up from $320 a year ago, is an extraordinary margin story. Production already rose 33% last quarter, the new CEO ran one of the world's largest tungsten mines, and the US defense ban on Chinese tungsten starts January 2027. x.com 

Almonty Industries gains from a policy-driven tungsten squeeze outside China. Every advanced chip uses WF6 gas made from tungsten, with no mature substitute. China's tungsten powder exports to Japan were zero, and outside China tungsten sits 3% off its high. From 2027, Pentagon contractors cannot use tungsten from China, Russia, North Korea or Iran, about 84% of supply; 18 months is also what chipmakers need to substitute away. Almonty's Korean Sangdong mine and Portugal pit own that floor. … Show more

EQ Resources should benefit as the tungsten trade catches fire, because unlike rhodium, tungsten has no substitute. Rhodium rose 14 times in 2020-2021 until automakers found substitutes, but chip fabs, defense companies and manufacturers can't stop buying tungsten even after prices quintupled, so demand is almost price insensitive. China has closed the taps and is now importing. EQR is the largest non-Chinese tungsten producer, with two operating mines and insider buying. x.com  x.com 

United States Antimony is the premier play on US decoupling from China because it owns North America's only functional antimony smelting capacity as China tightens export controls. A $248 million sole-source Defense Logistics Agency contract brings new contracts to $354 million, with 2026 revenue projected at $125 million versus $39 million in 2025. Restarting the Stibnite Hill mine captures antimony prices up 230% in a year, and the Fostung tungsten project adds upside. It is a 1-2 year hold. … Show more

Rare earth and critical mineral names MP Materials, Energy Fuels, Critical Metals and United States Antimony have pulled back into a good buying zone after a big run, as attention shifts toward physical AI and robots. The Trump sons just invested in a tungsten company, and SemiAnalysis is flagging how important rare earths will be over the next few years. They remain weak short term. MP is the safest, with a government investment and its role as Apple's largest rare earths supplier. x.com 

EQ Resources, MP Materials and 5N Plus are top picks in minerals and materials, each tied to defense supply chains. EQ Resources runs the Mt Carbine and Barruecopardo tungsten mines, one of the few investable non-Chinese tungsten supply stories. MP Materials has a Defense Department partnership, a 15% government equity stake and a $110/kg NdPr price floor for 10 years. 5N Plus supplies germanium for precision-guided munitions, with a defense supply-chain re-rating already underway. x.com 

Almonty Industries is a structural bottleneck play on a secure Western tungsten supply chain. With Phase 1 of its Sangdong mine commissioned in March 2026, it has moved from developer risk to producer with pricing power. Sangdong is a Tier-1 asset with grades 3x the global average, and at full Phase 2 capacity in 2027 it will control about 40% of non-Chinese supply. x.com