The United States’ dependence on foreign sources for REE has been an important topic at the nexus of energy policy, economic policy, and national security for over a decade (Grasso, 2013; Gholz 2014). REE dependence typically refers to the percentage of domestic REE consumption that is imported. In 16 of the past 20 years, the U.S. has imported 100% of its consumption of rare earth metals.
