Mules, Moonshine, and Magnets

Mules, Moonshine, and Magnets

From The Wire China Podcast by The Wire China

March 13, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

The episode discusses a new magnet factory in North Carolina and the challenges of sourcing materials without relying on China.

Reporter Noah Berman and editor Tom Mitchell take us to small-town North Carolina, where a new magnet factory has set up shop. Vulcan Elements wants to make magnets without sourcing any materials from China — a difficult task, because Chinese companies monopolize the supply and production chain for the rare earths needed in the process. Also in this episode, an excerpt from this week's Q&A with Kei Koizumi, former Deputy Director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy,...

People in this episode

Host: Tom Mitchell

Guest: Noah Berman

Topics covered

  • magnet manufacturing
  • rare earths
  • North Carolina
  • China supply chain
  • science policy

Keywords

  • magnets
  • Vulcan Elements
  • rare earths
  • North Carolina
  • China
  • Kei Koizumi
  • science policy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Vulcan Elements, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Places: North Carolina, China

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