Archive · 8 Sep 2026
Rare Earth Supply Gap May Take Decades to Close
Rare earths are important materials used to make many products.
A company leader says the world will not quickly get enough new supplies.
He believes it could take decades instead of just a few years.
One reason is that companies and governments have not invested enough in new production.
China currently has a dominant position in the market.
Supplies may remain tight in the near future.
Projects in Greenland and the United States could add more supply later.
Building all the needed mines and infrastructure could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Patriot Critical Minerals CEO Brodie Sutherland says new rare earth supply may take decades, not years, to arrive.
He attributes the long timeline to years of underinvestment and China’s dominance of the rare earth market.
Near-term rare earth supplies are expected to remain tight.
New projects are being developed in Greenland and the United States.
Sutherland says building the necessary global infrastructure will require hundreds of billions of dollars.
- Who
- Brodie Sutherland, CEO of Patriot Critical Minerals.
- What
- He says closing the global rare earth supply gap will take decades, not years.
- When
- The article does not specify a date for the forecast.
- Where
- The supply gap is global, with new projects mentioned in Greenland and the United States.
- Why
- Underinvestment, China’s market dominance, tight near-term supply, and the large infrastructure investment required are contributing to the long timeline.
- Company
- Patriot Critical Minerals
- Speaker
- Brodie Sutherland, CEO
- Expected timeline
- Decades rather than years
- Near-term outlook
- Rare earth supply is expected to remain tight
- New project locations
- Greenland and the United States
- Estimated infrastructure need
- Hundreds of billions of dollars
- Main market factor
- China’s dominance of the rare earth market