"Florida has the unique potential to be a cornerstone of America's independent rare earths and critical minerals supply chain."
That’s the takeaway from a July 2024 report by the Florida State University National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (MagLab)'s Center for Rare Earths, Critical Minerals, and Industrial Byproducts.
💡 Why it matters: Buried inside Florida’s gypstacks lies a $31 billion opportunity—rare earth elements (REEs) essential for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. The challenge? Extracting these materials economically and safely.
Enter FSU’s MagLab
Launched in 2023, FSU’s cutting-edge research hub is tackling this challenge head-on, pioneering new ways to unlock these resources and reduce America’s reliance on foreign supply chains.
🔬 The big picture: MagLab’s mission is to advance knowledge and technologies related to rare earth elements, critical minerals, and recovered materials. Their research is helping turn phosphate byproducts into valuable domestic resources.
The stakes are high
- America currently imports nearly 80% of its rare earth elements from abroad, the vast majority from China.
- Hundreds of thousands of tons of REEs potentially sit in Florida’s gypstacks, waiting to be tapped.
- These minerals power batteries, defense systems, medical tech, and more—securing them domestically strengthens national security and economic growth.
What’s next: Together with FSU’s MagLab, we can transform phosphate byproducts into a powerful domestic resource—boosting innovation, economic security, and America’s competitive edge.
Click here to learn more about FSU’s Center for Rare Earths & Critical Minerals.
