MP Materials has announced plans to expand rare earth mining and processing operations as Washington seeks to end its dependence on Chinese supplies.

Low environmental standards helped China become the world’s low-cost producer of rare earths, but Beijing was also focused on helping the industry.

When China restricted rare earth exports to Japan in 2010 during a diplomatic spat, a wild west domestic industry undermined Beijing with rampant smuggling. In a sharp shift that reflects how China has massively tightened control over the sector since then,