Makenita more than doubles Sisson West holdings
Makenita Resources has expanded its land position at the Sisson West Tungsten Project in New Brunswick, Canada, by acquiring additional mineral claims that increased the property from 9,845 acres to 22,665 acres. The new claims directly border the Sisson Tungsten Mine operated by Northcliff Resources. According to a report dated July 27, the move followed initial results from a 2026 airborne magnetic survey that identified a clear magnetic high and a drill-ready target on the property. Interpretation of magnetic vector inversion data highlighted a favourable south-west–north-east structural trend, which prompted Makenita to pursue additional strike extent. Compiled airborne survey data and regional historical information are under evaluation, and preparations are under way to design a drilling programme at the site. President Jason Gigliotti tied the expansion to Sisson being named a "nation-building project" by the federal government.
U.S. industry confronts January 2027 Chinese-mineral cutoff
A July 27 Reuters report described how President Donald Trump's effort to end Washington's reliance on Chinese critical minerals by January is running into a capacity gap among domestic miners and processors. Federal regulations require manufacturers to stop purchasing rare earths, magnets, tungsten, molybdenum and tantalum from China, Russia, Iran or North Korea by January 1, 2027 — a deadline defense manufacturers and other buyers are now just over five months from reaching. Trump has made U.S. mining and processing of critical minerals a national security priority, directing tens of billions of dollars into nearly 150 minerals companies. Reuters noted that U.S. firms have not produced tungsten since 2015, and that domestic capacity to refine many of these materials remains limited.
Domestic tungsten supply rebuilds slowly
Reuters reported that Guardian Metal Resources is working to open a U.S. tungsten mine by 2028, while Lion Rock Resources is developing a tantalum mine in South Dakota without a disclosed opening timeline. The United States holds reserves of most critical minerals but lacks the capacity to mine and process many of them; China grew to dominate the refining industry in the late 20th century and now controls more than 80% of the sector, according to the report. The International Energy Agency warned this month that supply chains could be at risk if Beijing imposes export restrictions on rare earths, as it has periodically in recent years. Ucore Rare Metals, a refining startup backed by the Pentagon, had planned to begin production in 2025 but now expects some output to start no earlier than 2027, CEO Pat Ryan told Reuters.
Federal stockpile and allied bridge strategies
The Trump administration launched Project Vault in February — a $12 billion effort to stockpile critical minerals, Reuters reported — and officials acknowledged in April that initial purchases would need to come from "anywhere in the world," including China. Defense contractor Lockheed Martin has submitted a list of minerals it would like stockpiled to the Department of Defense, CEO Jim Taiclet said at a conference earlier this month. Partnerships with South Korea, Japan and other allies may offer a bridge for manufacturers until U.S. suppliers can scale up, said Samantha Carl-Yoder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, according to Reuters.
Next milestones to watch
Key upcoming checkpoints include the launch of Makenita's drilling programme at Sisson West, progress at Guardian Metal Resources' planned U.S. tungsten mine targeting 2028 production, and whether Ucore Rare Metals can begin some refining production in 2027. The January 1, 2027 regulatory cutoff for tungsten and other listed minerals from covered adversaries will test whether domestic output, allied processing and stockpiling can fill the gap — or whether the U.S. administration will need to extend or relax the requirement.
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