Ford and JPMorgan Back Michigan Factories in Attempt to Bring US Manufacturing Home
Ford and JPMorganChase each aim to put up to $1 billion behind Michigan suppliers. Rare earth stocks, among the closest listed plays on US manufacturing, have slid as much as 29% in a month.
Ford, JPMorganChase and the State of Michigan launched the Michigan Launchpad for Industrial Innovation and Transformation (LIFT) on Sept. 29. The $1 billion figures are decade-long aspirations, or about $100 million a year each.
Does $1 Billion Each Move Ford and JPMorgan Shares?
JPMorganChase held $5 trillion in assets on June 30, so $1 billion in loans equals about 0.02% of that. Not too much of a spend, but at least an indicator of where the bank feels there is value.
Ford’s orders would arrive over a decade, subject to its standard supplier qualification and approval processes. In addition, the announcement quantifies no earnings impact for either company.
Will US Manufacturing Stocks Catch the Funding Wave?
Critical minerals are among the program’s first supply challenges, and Ford CEO Jim Farley named magnets and rare earths. The program’s other target areas include robotics, semiconductors and battery storage, though the announcement names no listed suppliers.
USA Rare Earth (USAR), a magnet maker still building its plants, fell 29% in a month through Oct. 8. Meanwhile, the VanEck Rare Earth and Strategic Metals ETF (REMX) lost 21% over that span.
MP Materials (MP) runs the only large-scale US rare earth mine. Even so, it closed at $46.14 on Oct. 9, under half its October 2025 high.
The selling has hit builders hardest, 24/7 Wall St. reported, as they spend ahead of revenue. An earlier leg of the slide came on US-China thaw hopes ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, 24/7 Wall St. reported.
LIFT’s pitch targets that gap, since the announcement blames uncertain demand and late financing for stalled suppliers. Yet it targets Michigan expansions, while MP Materials builds in Texas and USA Rare Earth in Oklahoma and South Carolina.
JPMorganChase CEO Jamie Dimon said $5 billion has gone directly into security-focused firms, against up to $10 billion planned. At the same time, money managers are split on whether the S&P 500’s record rally can broaden beyond big tech.