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MP Materials will supply Apple with rare earth magnets manufactured at its Fort Worth facility as part of a new long-term agreement between the two companies valued at $500 million, the firms announced Tuesday. The magnets will be produced using 100% recycled materials, making Fort Worth a central player in the development of a sustainable, domestic supply chain for critical components used in smartphones, computers, wearables, and other electronics.
The magnets will be made at MP’s Fort Worth facility, known as Independence, using recycled rare earth feedstock processed at the company’s Mountain Pass site in California. That feedstock will come from post-industrial and end-of-life magnets, marking what the companies called a major milestone in their efforts to build a U.S.-based circular supply chain.
In order to meet Apple’s demand, MP Materials said it will “significantly expand” capacity at its Fort Worth plant. Apple and MP Materials will build out the state-of-the-art Texas factory with a series of neodymium magnet manufacturing lines specifically designed for Apple products, according to Apple. Magnet shipments are expected to begin in 2027 and eventually support “hundreds of millions of Apple devices.”
The two companies will also work together to establish a "cutting-edge" rare earth recycling line in Mountain Pass and develop novel magnet materials and innovative processing technologies to enhance magnet performance. The commitment is part of Apple’s pledge to spend more than $500 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.
“American innovation drives everything we do at Apple, and we’re proud to deepen our investment in the U.S. economy,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, in a statement. “Rare earth materials are essential for making advanced technology, and this partnership will help strengthen the supply of these vital materials here in the United States. We couldn’t be more excited about the future of American manufacturing, and we will continue to invest in the ingenuity, creativity, and innovative spirit of the American people.”
The new equipment and technical capacity will allow MP Materials to significantly boost its overall production. Once built, the American-made magnets will be shipped across the country and all over the world, helping to meet increasing global demand for the material. The increased production will support dozens of new jobs in advanced manufacturing and R&D. The two companies will provide extensive training to develop the workforce, building an entirely new pool of U.S. talent and expertise in magnet manufacturing.
“We are proud to partner with Apple to launch MP’s recycling platform and scale up our magnetics business,” said James Litinsky, founder, chairman, and CEO of MP Materials. “This collaboration deepens our vertical integration, strengthens supply chain resilience, and reinforces America’s industrial capacity at a pivotal moment.”
The project builds on nearly five years of technical collaboration between the companies, during which time they piloted recycling technologies capable of turning reclaimed magnets into material that meets Apple’s design and performance standards. MP Materials plans to construct a commercial-scale recycling line at Mountain Pass to process inputs including magnet scrap and components recovered from end-of-life electronics.
The Fort Worth expansion also aligns with MP’s existing public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, aimed at restoring domestic rare earth production and manufacturing.
MP and Apple said they will continue to innovate together to accelerate advancements in magnet production and recovery—efforts they hope will reduce waste, conserve resources, and improve supply chain resilience at scale.