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4h ago

Trump Orders 180-Day Push for Minerals Supply Deals Under National Security Law

The White House cites foreign processing dominance as a threat to U.S. defense and energy supply chains.

FILE - NioCorp Chief Operating Officer Scott Honan tells a group of investors about the plans for a proposed mine during a tour of the site Oct. 6, 2021, near Elk Creek in southeast Nebraska. (AP Photo/Josh Funk, File)
FILE - President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
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The flag of China is placed next to the elements of Gallium and Germanium on a periodic table, in this illustration picture taken on July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo

Overview

  • A presidential proclamation under Section 232 directs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to negotiate binding agreements to secure processed critical minerals.
  • Negotiations will consider price floors and other trade-stabilizing tools to diversify supply sources away from China’s processing dominance.
  • Tariffs, quotas, or minimum import prices remain options if agreements are not reached, not implemented, or judged ineffective within 180 days.
  • Commerce’s investigation concluded that heavy import reliance and price volatility threaten national security, with the U.S. fully import reliant for 12 minerals and at least 50% reliant for 29 more.
  • The move complements steps to expand domestic mining and processing and builds on outreach to G7 partners and allies such as Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, and Saudi Arabia.