Amazon and Microsoft-backed startup to build Recycling Plant of rare earths in Canada, the ‘rare minerals’ that analysts say gives China upper hand in trade war with the US

Cyclic Materials, a startup supported by Amazon, Microsoft, and BMW Group, plans to invest $25 million in a rare-earths recycling plant and research center in Ontario, Canada, according to a statement reported by Bloomberg. The facility, set to begin operations in the first quarter of 2026, aims to bolster North America’s supply of critical minerals amid rising global demand and China’s dominance over rare-earth markets.

Cyclic’s technology extracts rare earths from end-of-life products like wind turbines, data-center hard drives, and electric vehicle components, addressing supply chain vulnerabilities highlighted by China’s export restrictions in retaliation to U.S. tariffs, Bloomberg noted.