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Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic is poised to become a key supplier of rare earth elements—vital for electronics—with estimated reserves of about 100 million tons pending confirmation. Exploration in Pedernales’s Ávila reserve, supported by the University of Barcelona and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has attracted U.S. backing; Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged American assistance, emphasizing the value of sourcing from allied nations.
These minerals, now overwhelmingly processed in China, could fetch US$50–US$750 per kilogram and draw chip manufacturers to the Dominican Republic thanks to its proximity to U.S. markets. Local communities in Pedernales—one of the nation’s poorest provinces—anticipate new infrastructure, jobs, and economic growth alongside tourism. In August, the government created the state‑owned Empresa Minera Dominicana (Emidom) to manage exploration and extraction, marking a strategic push to leverage these resources for national development.
