MP Materials surged 8% and USA Rare Earth jumped 9% on Friday, while NioCorp Developments was up around 2%. The rally appears to be driven by trader speculation about potential US tariff and industrial policy support for domestic critical minerals, rather than any confirmed news. The article notes that rare earth equities in 2026 have often traded on US trade and industrial policy expectations, with recent catalysts including a Trump stockpile plan and a China export ban.