Welcome to my unique weekday article for the paid subscriber-only edition.

Operational Excellence (OPEX) Daily Briefing – issued on weekdays (Monday to Friday).

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Don’t forget the first time and unique BizDecoded series, starting from Aug 20th, 2025. Session #3 will be on August 27 at 10 am CST (10 pm Vietnam time) at the Academy.

News Recap

• On Aug 26, 2025, Energy Fuels and Vulcan Elements announced an MOU to build a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain. Initial validation quantities of NdPr and Dy oxides refined in Utah (from mineral sands in Georgia and Florida) are expected in Q4 2025.

• On Aug 25, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior released its draft 2025 list of critical minerals, expanding from 50 to 54 commodities. Newly added: copper, silver, lead, silicon, potash, and rhenium.

• China accounts for ~90% of global rare-earth refining capacity, and between 2020–2023 the U.S. imported about 70% of its rare-earth compounds/metals from China.

• Being on the critical minerals list makes projects eligible for federal funding and streamlined permitting, but not automatic tariff exemptions.

Introduction: Why Should You Care About Rocks?

At first glance, “rare earth minerals” don’t sound exciting. They’re rocks pulled from the ground—hardly the stuff of boardroom thrillers. Yet without them, your smartphone wouldn’t vibrate, your car’s battery wouldn’t charge, and wind turbines would grind to a halt.

Today’s headline is more than geology. It’s a story about resilience, and resilience is OPEX at its core.